City man gets jail after breaching house arrest

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on January 13, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

Donald Wallace Eldridge only had 36 days remaining on a conditional sentence that allowed him to serve the sentence under house arrest instead of actual jail, as long as he didn’t breach any of his conditions and commit more offences.

He didn’t make it.

On Dec. 31 of last year, after receiving a complaint about a drunk driver, police found Eldridge stopped in a parking stall at Scenic Drive and Peenaquim View North. Police noticed a large pile of vomit on the ground beside the driver’s door, and saw several bottles of alcohol inside the vehicle, including a couple of bottles inside a bag under the passenger’s seat.

Eldridge claimed he didn’t have any identification and said he was John Kaupp, but the officer recognized Eldridge and noticed he had a wallet in his back pocket. The wallet contained a driver’s licence that confirmed Eldridge’s identity.

At the time of his arrest, Eldridge was bound by a conditional sentence order stemming from a conviction for sexual assault. The order included conditions that Eldridge keep the peace and be of good behaviour, remain on 24-hour house arrest and abstain from consuming alcohol.

Eldridge pleaded guilty Friday in Lethbridge court of justice to charges of breaching his conditional sentence and impersonation. The Crown noted Eldridge’s criminal record includes several convictions for CSO breaches and failing to comply with court orders.

Eldridge’s conditional sentence order was collapsed, which means he will have to serve the remaining 36 days of his sentence in actual jail. He was also sentenced to an additional five days in jail for the impersonation charge, but they will run concurrently with the 36 days.

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