Flight from police lands man jail term

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on June 7, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A 68-year-old man who fled from police in a stolen pickup truck, quickly realized he wouldn’t get far driving on rims instead of tires.

On Feb. 11 of this year police received a call from a homeowner in the Diamond City area who reported he caught someone in his yard who claimed he was looking for a jerrycan of gas because his truck had broken down.

The man, Kevin Gordon Marsh, left, but the suspicious homeowner called police. Police learned the truck had been stolen two days earlier, and when they found it and tried to initiate a traffic stop, Marsh sped away. Another officer, however, was able to set up a spike belt.

“The vehicle drove over the spike belt and he kept driving, and he was driving simply on his rims for awhile because all four tires were shredded,” Crown Prosecutor Robert Morrison said Wednesday in Lethbridge court of justice, where Marsh pleaded guilty to charges of possession of stolen property and flight from police.

Marsh continued to drive about 40 km-h, but eventually drove into a ditch. He jumped out of the vehicle and ran away, but was apprehended shortly afterward.

Marsh, who has a criminal record with convictions for numerous offences, including breaches of court orders, assault, uttering threats, motor vehicle theft and impaired driving, was sentenced to six months in jail, minus time he spent in remand custody, leaving only eight days to serve.

“Given the circumstances here, the Crown suggests a period of custody is appropriate,” Morrison said. “The Court of Appeal has been pretty clear that when police turn their lights on and attempt to stop you, that puts everybody on the road at risk.”

“Flight almost always results in incarceration,” Justice Timothy Hironaka agreed.

Marsh is also prohibited from driving for two years. Additional charges of driving while unauthorized and resisting a peace officer, were withdrawn.

Margaret Morse, student at law, told court Marsh got involved with the “wrong people” around the time of the offence.