MOOSE JAW — Growing up with parents who attended residential schools and dealing with addiction as an adult are two reasons Crystal McGillis has spent much of her life stealing from people and businesses.
That life of thievery, however, is also why she has been sentenced to jail several times.
Appearing recently in Moose Jaw Provincial Court, McGillis, 43, pleaded guilty to three breaches of probation, theft of several phones, stealing a purse, fraudulently using a credit card, twice failing to attend court, looting a resident’s items, purloining items from Temple Gardens Mineral Spa, taking a tourist’s property, swiping items from Cobb’s Cobblery, and stealing a bike.
The Crown stayed 13 other charges.
In a joint submission, McGillis will spend the next 210 days — seven months — behind bars. This includes 150 days for stealing from a resident, 60 days consecutive for breaching probation, 90 days concurrent for another theft and fraud, and 60 days concurrent for other breaches.
She has already spent 88 days in jail after police arrested her on May 23, so the court credited her with 132 days served. Therefore, she will spend another 78 days in jail.
This is not the first time McGillis has received lengthy jail terms. In 2020 she was sentenced to 180 days, and in 2022, she received 120 days.
A ‘generous’ sentence
McGillis has a “significant criminal record” that is mostly property-type offences, while many convictions flow from her long-standing addiction, said Crown prosecutor Rob Parker.
“These are the sort of property offences that we typically see in an individual committing (crime) who is struggling with addictions issues,” he remarked, noting she previously attended drug treatment court but was unsuccessful in completing the program.
Parker described the sentence as “fairly generous” and an appropriate length, while the offences were “relatively victimless” since none included violence. Moreover, he commended McGillis for pleading guilty and avoiding the need for numerous trials.
He added that she can seek support for her issues after her release.
Defence submissions
McGillis has been at the Pine Grove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert since May, said Legal Aid lawyer Suzanne Jeanson. The venue’s capacity is 166 persons, but it’s more than double right now, which means showers are limited, food is rationed, the gym is a temporary shelter and McGillis is locked up 23.5 hours per day.
Furthermore, she suffers from serious medical conditions, including chronic pain and reduced mobility. She requires surgery but can only acquire it after she’s released.
The judge must consider this case’s Gladue factors — McGillis is Métis and had a troubled childhood because her parents attended residential school — because they lessen the sentence’s overall severity, Jeanson said.
While McGillis has experienced addiction for years, she has had a full year of sobriety three different times and has remained clean on remand, Jeanson continued. After her release, the woman plans to attend an intensive in-patient treatment program with the Elizabeth Fry Society in Saskatoon.
“I don’t agree with Mr. Parker’s characterization of this being a generous sentence. The Gladue factors are so significant … and they are very directly connected to the offences before (the judge),” the defence counsel added. “Crystal is not a violent person; these are property offences.”
When asked for comment, McGillis apologized and blamed her addiction for her actions. She said she wanted to put her life back together and hoped to do that with treatment and support in Saskatoon. She also wanted to connect with her Métis heritage and reconnect with her children.
Judge Darren Chow accepted the joint submission and agreed to waive the victim surcharge.
Offences
Some offences to which McGillis pleaded guilty include:
On April 23, video footage captured McGillis entering The Bentley retirement building and stealing a red, seven-speed fat bike worth $997.
On Jan. 4, she entered the Jade Garden Restaurant to retrieve forgotten bags. However, she stole a phone worth $500 from a patron’s jacket; a credit card was in the phone case, but she did not use it. Police never found the phone but recovered the credit card.
On Jan. 24, McGillis entered the Bank of Montreal and, because it was so busy, stole a purse from an employee’s office, which included money. She then bought alcohol from the Park Hotel — selling some to friends — and food from the Co-op.
She admitted to police that she took the purse — which was returned — and used the credit card.
On March 23, McGillis entered the Temple Gardens and stole $722 worth of spa and skin-care products.
On April 7, McGillis met a tourist near Temple Gardens and said she was homeless. The man let her stay in his Travelodge room, but when he awoke at 4:30 a.m., he discovered she had stolen his phone, laptop, wallet, licence, clothing and cash.
The police recovered most of his possessions — including some cash — but the cell phone was damaged.
At 10:40 p.m. on April 17, a resident took McGillis from the casino to his home so she had a place to sleep. She ended up stealing his money, bottles of alcohol, coins, and headphones.
On April 26, McGillis stole two iPhones worth $1,500 from a downtown business after telling staff she needed a tissue. Interestingly, she had just been released from custody that day; the phones were not recovered.
On May 19, McGillis stole a knife from Cobb’s Cobblery on Main Street. However, the store owner confronted her and retrieved the object and mail she had also purloined.
On Aug. 7, 2022, McGillis was put on probation, but by Aug. 9 had failed to report to her officer.
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