A convicted thief, given special consideration for a serious medical condition, is back in jail after breaching a conditional sentence.
Lorne Guy Seitz, 46, received a conditional sentence of two years less a day on June 11, after pleading guilty to theft over $5,000 and two counts of break and enter.
Typically, as the sentencing judge noted in B.C. Supreme Court, Seitz would have been jailed for his crimes. However, due a potentially-fatal liver condition, hepatitis C, he was basically sentenced to house arrest.
However, on June 20 at 6:40 p.m., two Mounties conducted a check of Seitz’ motel residence and he wasn’t there.
“I could see the entire unit and no one was inside,” wrote the RCMP officer in his report.
As a result, an arrest warrant was issued for Seitz who did turn himself in at the RCMP detachment. He was detained on June 27 and has been in custody since then.
Last Wednesday, Seitz appeared in B.C. Supreme Court in Campbell River and pleaded guilty to breaching his conditional sentence. He had no explanation as to why he wasn’t in his motel room or even where he was on the date in question.
Defence lawyer James Hormoth suggested this was due to the combination of medications and painkillers Seitz is taking. Seitz has advanced hepatitis C and he told the court he has a 50-50 chance of surviving the disease.
However, he is on a drug trial which, if successful, will give him a far better chance of survival.
Seitz said he goes to the Campbell River hospital every Thursday for the drug injection which causes painful side effects.
But in order for the drug to be successful, Seitz must maintain the weekly regiment for several months.
The problem now is he’s already missed two appointments and will miss more after Judge J. Harvey suspended his conditional sentence and ordered Seitz to spend 30 days in jail.
Judge Harvey characterized Seitz’ conditional sentence as “extraordinary” given the crimes he committed as well as his past criminal record.
However, he noted that Seitz was “cut some slack” by the sentence and then breached the home arrest condition within 10 days of being sentenced.
The judge expressed his regret that Seitz may not be able to continue his drug treatments while in jail, but, “There are no free bites in matters such as this.”
Seitz received the conditional sentence for crimes he committed last year and in 2010.
On the morning of April 30, 2011, Seitz used a pickup truck to try and break into General Paints at Discovery Harbour Plaza. When that attempt failed, Seitz and Roderick Jurriet drove to the Willows Pub on Rockland Road where Seitz used the truck to smash out the entrance in order to steal booze.
Shortly later, the vehicle was stopped by RCMP and the two men were arrested.
Seitz was the lone man charged in the incident after Jurriet testified against him at a preliminary inquiry.
Seitz’ other conviction for theft over $5,000 stems from a July 21, 2010, incident in Port Hardy when he stole a trailered boat from Pacificus Biological Services.
The boat and trailer were later found by police, attached to a red Jeep on Grey Street, parked outside Seitz’ residence.
Seitz will resume his conditional sentence following his release from jail. During the first year he is under house arrest, although he is allowed to go out for medical treatments, to buy food and to exercise.
During the second year of the sentence, Seitz is bound by a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.
A new condition was also added to his sentence on Thursday whereby police will be allowed to get his landlord to open his residence if Seitz does not answer. This is due to the sleeping pills he takes.
