A man charged with stealing an expensive ring from a Salmon Arm pawn shop 16 months ago remains in custody but won’t be serving additional time for the offence.
During sentencing on Feb. 18 in Salmon Arm, the court heard that on Oct. 10, 2018, Michael David Trosky entered Shuswap Pawn Shop about 2 p.m. While the owner was busy with another person, he reached over a case, grabbed a white gold ring and put it in his jacket pocket.
As he was leaving, he looked directly at a surveillance camera, so his photo was circulated by police. He was recognized in Dawson Creek where he used to live.
As well as being sentenced for the Salmon Arm theft, Trosky, who’s 29, was facing six charges from April 5, 2019 in Kamloops.
They included possession of a stolen vehicle and a stolen credit card plus breach of a previous court condition.
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Crown counsel Danika Heighes told the court that on March 7, 2019, a woman’s Honda Civic was stolen overnight from Enderby. On April 4, a licence plate was stolen from a Kamloops resident which was then found on a Honda Civic in Trosky’s possession.
Heighes said Trosky was located when police were monitoring a motel in Kamloops that sees frequent criminal activity. Officers noticed Trosky rummaging through a Honda there before he drove it away.
Trosky has been in custody since April 5 of last year so has accrued pre-sentence jail time counted at time-and-a-half. He pleaded guilty to all of the charges back on Aug. 1 but Crown counsel said sentencing was delayed because of all the reports ordered.
Judge Robin Smith sentenced Trosky to a total of 330 days, which is covered by the time served. He will remain in custody, however, on related charges. He must also pay restitution to Shuswap Pawn of $3,875 for the ring.
Trosky has more than 60 convictions dating back to his youth.
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His current period of incarceration is his longest and this time he has taken every course and program available. The judge noted that all his crimes have been related to feeding his drug and alcohol addictions.
Trosky said he is finally realizing that when he gets out of prison he can’t control them and relapses. This time he has been speaking to a social worker on Vancouver Island who is working to get him into a treatment centre there within six months of his release.
Defence lawyer Anthony Lagemaat told the court that Trosky’s girlfriend has now been clean for more than a year. She has committed to support him once he has six months recovery and is six months crime-free.
The court also heard a little of Trosky’s history. He has Cree and Metis heritage. Both his grandmothers were in residential school; both his parents drank heavily so he grew up in an abusive and violent home. He was diagnosed as a child with ADHD and may have fetal alcohol syndrome. He began drinking at 12.
Judge Smith told Trosky that he’s at a good age to turn things around.
“A lot of people who struggle in their 20s have the ability to turn the corner.”
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