Man makes plea on drug possession
By Lethbridge Herald on January 9, 2021.
A police officer got a bit more than he expected after he watched a motorist pull into a townhouse complex last summer.
Andrew Glenn Whiteford exited his vehicle and entered the complex on the afternoon of July 19, but while he was inside the officer ran his licence plate and discovered he was a suspended driver. When he returned to the vehicle, the officer asked to see his registration, and ended up seeing a lot more.
As Whiteford opened the door to his vehicle, the officer noticed, in plain view, a bottle of alcohol that was open and partially consumed. He also saw a “heavily used” hash pipe. Then, when the officer searched the vehicle, he found nine oxycodone pills in a container inside the console next to the driver’s seat.
Whiteford was charged with several offences but pleaded guilty Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court to one count of drug possession.
Federal Crown Prosecutor Mark Klassen told court Whiteford, who is currently in B.C., has an extensive record for drug possession, for which he has received fines. This time, however, he was fined $100 and sentenced to 30 days in jail. He was, however, given full credit for time already spent in custody, which concludes his sentence. His remaining charges were withdrawn.
