Punching clerk nets man jail for theft

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on July 25, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A 21-year-old Lethbridge man who stole a bottle of Dr. Pepper, a bottle of water and some juice from a northside convenience store, has been sent to jail for six months.

While theft of such items would normally result in a fine, or at most a very short sentence, Chase Christopher Hennigar punched the store clerk before fleeing, turning what would have been a shoplifting charge into a much more serious charge of robbery.

“Notwithstanding we’re only talking about a bottle of water and half a bottle of Dr. Pepper, a robbery is still a robbery, and violence was involved,” said Justice Peter Ayotte during Hennigar’s sentencing hearing Friday in Lethbridge court of justice.

Hennigar walked into the store at about 9 p.m. on March 4 of this year, but was acting strangely, so the clerk stood by the door. Hennigar placed the items in a bag, and when he attempted to leave without paying, the clerk stopped him. Hennigar punched the clerk twice in the face then took off.

Police found the clerk nursing a sore mouth and bloody nose, and they found Hennigar shortly afterward walking down the street a few blocks away. Hennigar ran away, however, and police chased him into a fenced area. After several commands to give himself up, Hennigar exited the fenced area and was arrested.

Police recovered a full bottle of water and a partially consumed bottle of Dr. Pepper.

Hennigar was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to one count of robbery. He was also sentenced to an additional 10 days in jail on a single charge of shoplifting.

A couple of weeks after the robbery, Hennigar was in Walmart on Mayor Magrath Drive where he placed $1,067 worth of tools and other items in a cart. He left the store through a fire exit, but was followed by a loss prevention officer, who yelled at Hennigar as he was running away and told him to leave the items.

“He abandoned the merchandise in the parking lot so the merchandise was all recovered,” said Crown Prosecutor James Rouleau.

Hennigar’s sentences will be served consecutive to an 18-month sentence he is currently serving for possession of stolen property, and while Rouleau noted the sentence for robbery is on the low side, it is still “a very expensive way to get a bottle of Dr. Pepper and a bottle of water.”

In addition to the jail sentences, Hennigar will be prohibited from possessing weapons for 10 years, and he must submit a sample of his DNA for the National DNA Data Bank.

Calgary lawyer Robin McIntyre said her client spent part of his youth in foster care and by the time he was 14 or 15 years old he was addicted to drugs. He also suffers from ADHD, anxiety and depression.

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