It’s not very often folks are ordered to stay at least 40 kilometres away from their hometown.
But it happened to Duncan’s Micah Jair McClure.
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP announced last week that a three-month investigation resulted in McClure’s Aug. 6 guilty plea for four of the 13 breaking-and-entering related charges he was facing.
He was sentenced to two years less a day followed by two years of probation, including the 40-kilometre order. In addition, McClure has also been officially identified by cops and community partners as a prolific offender.
According to Cpl. Jon Stuart, the designation is made in collaboration between the police and a variety of other public officials. An officially designated prolific offender is immediately offered assistance in helping them stop their life of crime.
“These persons are identified when they have come to the attention of the police, usually once they have been the subject of numerous files in a short period of time,” he said.
“Those who take advantage of this have been very successful in ceasing criminal behaviour. Those who choose not to seek change are faced with enhanced police attention, which always results in criminal charges and incarceration.”
McClure’s charges were in relation to a series of crimes that took place during a span of three weeks late this winter: a Feb. 18, break-in at the Chuck Wagon general store in North Oyster, and a Feb. 27 incident at the Save On Gas at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Bench Road, said Cpl. Jon Stuart.
Related to McClure’s charges, Duncan’s Margaret Conrad has been convicted of assault (involving one of the witnesses) and obstruction of justice. And Duncan’s Laurie Marshall is charged with two counts of unlawfully and with intent to provoke a state of fear, obstructing a court participant by threats and obstructing justice.
An editorial footnote: McClure’s 40-kilometre limit means he would be overstepping his boundaries if he were to set foot in Goldstream or venture south of the Duke Point Highway. Lake Cowichan, the Saanich Peninsula and most of the southern Gulf Islands would also be off-limits to McClure.
Distances were estimated using Google Earth.
