More convictions for man with lengthy criminal record
By Delon Shurtz on February 23, 2021.
Chase Brent Hamilton has been busy since he moved recently to Lethbridge from Saskatchewan.
The 28-year-old, who has a lengthy criminal record from convictions in the neighbouring province, is racking up additional convictions in Alberta, including four convictions for shopbreaking, six for shoplifting, two for causing mischief, and one each of theft under and possession of stolen property, for which he was sentenced Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court.
Hamilton pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 18 months in jail, minus 65 days for time he already spent in custody since his arrest last month.
Court was told that in July and August of last year Hamilton stole several items from London Drugs, and although he got away, he was later identified through video surveillance.
On Aug. 9 he stole and damaged security boxes containing two webcams from Staples. He fled, but was followed by a security guard, who saw him sitting on some grass with the stolen goods.
The following month a video surveillance camera caught Hamilton and another person stripping parts from a truck’s snow plow attachment. While one of the individuals took parts off the snowplow – damaging the equipment in the process – Hamilton stood nearby and acted as the lookout.
On Oct. 13 Hamilton and a woman entered the Sexxxy Kitty store on 13 Street North and stole nearly $400 worth of items, primarily sex toys and lingerie. They ran from the store and fled in a vehicle parked outside. Then, less than a week later, Hamilton broke into two more businesses located next to each other on 13 Street N. and stole several items from one business, and $100 from the other. The cash was never recovered, but more than $1,000 in stolen items were.
A few days later, on Oct. 25, Hamilton broke into Mark’s Work Warehouse and stole gloves and other items of clothing. He was seen later the same day in Galt Gardens downtown with about $150 worth of shirts. He was also caught a few days later after stealing construction tools and a guitar from an unoccupied residential basement that was being renovated. Police found the tools hidden nearby, but never recovered the guitar.
Hamilton’s crime spree continued in December when he and a woman were seen near the new bus terminal downtown selling or giving away shoes from a large box. The shoes, worth nearly $600, were taken from a store in the Park Place Shopping Centre, which was unaware the shoes had been stolen.
And finally, on Dec. 26, Hamilton was seen by police near a fence surrounding a City of Lethbridge compound. When police, who were patrolling the area, turned around and drove back, they discovered Hamilton had entered the compound through a hole in the fence and he was arrested.
Lethbridge lawyer Claudia Connolly told court Hamilton struggles with addictions, and when he arrived in Lethbridge from Saskatchewan he was homeless and living on the street.
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