A teenage thief who had been still serving a sentence for possessing stolen property when he was arrested again was handed more than five months in jail on Friday.
Jesse Proulx, 18, pleaded guilty to possession of property obtained by crime, operating a vehicle while disqualified, breach of probation and possession of stolen property in Red Deer provincial court.
Proulx was arrested about 5 a.m. on Oct. 6 outside the UFA near Red Deer after police investigated a report of a suspicious vehicle.
On checking, police found Proulx was a suspended driver and the Ford F-350 truck he was in had been reported stolen. A search of a backpack in the truck found several stolen credit cards, said Crown prosecutor Jason Snider.
Proulx had been sentenced to 90 days on Aug. 28 for possession of stolen property and was technically still serving that sentence, although he had been released from jail, when he was arrested again.
Red Deer provincial court Judge Jim Hunter was not impressed with Proulx’s criminal record, mostly crimes committed as a youth.
“Mr. Proulx, you seem to have a pretty lengthy history for a young man who just turned 18,” said Hunter.
It clearly wasn’t getting through to him that taking other people’s vehicles is wrong, he said.
“If you’re 18 and you’ve got some skills, go get a job like the rest of us.”
He was sentenced to five 1/2 months in prison and banned from driving for one year on release. He was given credit for 41 days in custody.