Man sentenced to four months in jail for buying stolen vehicle
By Shurtz, Delon on July 10, 2020.
Delon Shurtz
lethbridge herald
Buying a vehicle he knew was stolen has earned a Lethbridge man a stint behind bars.
Paul Wayne McCarthy was sentenced to four months in jail after he pleaded guilty Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court to one count of possession of stolen property over $5,000.
Court was told police were looking for a Ford 150 truck that had been reported stolen during the early morning hours of Jan. 20. The truck was equipped with a GPS tracker, and the owner was able to give police live updates to its location as it was driven around the city.
Police found the vehicle parked outside a house and learned McCarthy had been approached by another person to see if he was interested in buying a stolen truck for $50.
Crown Prosecutor Clayton Giles pointed out McCarthy has a criminal record comprising numerous convictions for possessing stolen property, for which he has received jail sentences. But given his guilty plea and considerations for the pressures COVID-19 has had on the justice system, the Crown and defence agreed on a joint submission of only four months in jail.
McCarthy was given full credit for pre-trial custody, however, effectively concluding his sentence, but he remains in custody on two federal charges of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking. He returns on those charges next week.
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