Convenience store theft results in five month sentence

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on December 22, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

When a man and woman walked into a convenience store on Mayor Magrath Drive South last September, they were greeted by Rylan James Twigg who was dressed in black and wore over his face a black bandana with a distinctive skull pattern.

As the man and woman entered the store Twigg pulled out a knife, brandished it toward them and said “your money or your life.”

Police found Twigg not long afterward only a short distance away from the store, and he matched the description of the suspect seen in the store’s security footage and described by the victims. During a search of his backpack, police found the black bandana face mask and three weapons; a folding knife, a fixed-blade knife and a weapon that resembled a combination hatchet and hammer wrapped in electrical tape.

Police also found about $30 worth of items stolen from the store, including a water bottle, a bottle of Powerade and bags of candies.

The accused would plead guilty to charges of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, theft under $5,000, and assault with a weapon. Twigg, 28, was sentenced this week in Lethbridge provincial court to five months in jail, but he was given credit for the equivalent amount of time spent in pre-disposition custody, which concludes his sentence.

The Crown and defence jointly recommended the sentence, but Crown Prosecutor Adam Zelmer pointed out had counsels not agreed on a sentence, he would have recommended a jail sentence of six to nine months.

“These are serious criminal offences,” Zelmer told court. “They involve the use of a weapon, they involve threats being directed at unknown members of our community, folks who should be able to attend a 7-Eleven without fear of being threatened or accosted for money and assaulted with a weapon.”

Lethbridge lawyer Ingrid Hess pointed out, however, that the joint submission included the withdrawal of additional charges, including robbery, which would have attracted a stiffer sentence. Charges of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and disguised with intent were also withdrawn.

Hess told court her client has brain damage, which is consistent with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. His mother, however, “has never acknowledged drinking to the extent that would account for the brain damage he has,” Hess added.

She said Twigg had a difficult childhood and witnessed “horrific” domestic violence against his mother, which had a significant impact on his life. He also began drinking and taking drugs while in his teens and often in the company of his mother and step father.

Hess noted Twigg’s mother became sober and he is now clean, as well, but he was living on the streets and consuming hard drugs, primarily fentanyl.

In addition to his jail sentence, Twigg was also placed on probation for a year, during which he is not to have any contact with the two victims and not possess any weapons, including a knife unless it’s for eating or work.

He is prohibited from going to the convenience store and he must be assessed and take counseling for life skills and as directed by his probation officer. He must also submit a sample of his DNA for the National DNA Data Bank.

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