Woman sentenced for breaking into vehicles

By Delon Shurtz on December 9, 2020.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A woman caught breaking into several vehicles in recent months has been handed a short jail sentence.
Peggy Anne Holy Singer was sentenced to 45 days in custody after she pleaded guilty Tuesday in Lethbridge provincial court to two counts of theft under $5,000, two counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000, and one count of using someone else’s credit card. Holy Singer was credited, however, for the equivalent of 26 days in pre-trial custody, leaving 19 days on her sentence.
On July 31 police received a complaint from a Lethbridge resident who said someone had broken into her vehicle and stolen gift cards, bank cards, identification and a $150 cheque.
The woman called her bank to cancel the cards and learned a card had already been used at a restaurant and convenience store for a total of about $44. Police identified Holy Singer through video surveillance.
A few days later, police were notified that another vehicle had been broken into and a number of items stolen, including a wallet, credit card, identification and a Garmin GPS.
The owner went online and discovered her bank card had been use at a convenience store. She was able to track the suspect to the store and notified police. Police arrested Holy Singer and found the GPS in her backpack.
Later the same month Holy Singer and another individual were at a clothing store and seen putting clothes into a bag. They left the store without paying and mall security and police were notified. Shortly afterward police found Holy Singer, who had already been taken into custody on other matters.
Although police found two pairs of jeans in her possession, court was told the total value of clothes taken was between $120 and $170. The other person involved in the theft was identified later, but the clothing was never recovered.
On Sept. 20 Holy Singer was again caught on video surveillance breaking into a motor vehicle parked in a residential driveway on the southside. A medical bag was stolen, as well as a set of keys, which included keys to the Montessori School. The keys were not recovered and the entire school had to be re-keyed, the Crown pointed out.
Lethbridge lawyer Claudia Connolly said Holy Singer was living a “precarious” lifestyle at the time of the offences and was involved in a bad relationship.
“Things kind of went from bad to worse,” Connolly said.
She added, however, Holy Singer plans to take counselling and move to Calgary where she can be close to family.

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