Sentencing was reserved for six months for charges of theft.
Jordan Kehler had entered guilty pleas during a previous court appearance, and the matter was adjourned to the Nov. 24 Estevan provincial court proceedings for the completion of a pre-sentence report.
Crown prosecutor Mitch Crumley said what made the circumstances worse were the breach of trust, as Kehler stole from his employer. Kehler was given the company credit card to buy grease and then forgot to give the card back to his employer. The 24-year-old McTaggart resident then noticed he had the card on the weekend and took it to both 7 Elevens in Estevan where he purchased prepaid cards. Kehler used those prepaid cards to buy alcohol and drugs over the weekend. Crumley said it's the Crown's view that being an employee and breaching trust is an aggravating factor.
"Employers give trust, and then that trust is thrown back in their face. (The card) was used for drugs, not to put bread on the table but to fuel an addiction," Crumley added.
He said it "wasn't the most sophisticated of crimes" but noted that Kehler signed with a different name when using the card.
Robert Grimsrud represented Kehler through Legal Aid and told the court his client has struggled with drug addictions for some time but has now been clean for a few months.
Judge Karl Bazin decided to postpone sentencing for six months, saying that in Regina drug court, it is common to adjourn sentencing for that time. That gives the guilty individual time to prove they are committed to staying away from drugs, and that may have some weight when it finally comes time to pass sentence.
In other proceedings from last Thursday, six individuals were sentenced for second impaired driving convictions. Four were taken into custody to attend the Impaired Driver Treatment Program, and two were adjourned until March when beds would be available for them.
A seventh individual, Saskatoon resident Jonathan Holmes, pleaded guilty to impaired driving, and while it was his third conviction, the previous ones were from 1996 and 2000, outside of the 10-year window in which the prosecution would proceed by second conviction. It was treated as his first impaired conviction and between that matter and a number of other driving charges, he had fines totalling more than $2,500.
Four more individuals were convicted of impaired driving, during Monday's court proceedings with fines ranging from $1,100 to $2,000 for first first convictions. One of those incidents involved a hit and run in 2008.
