CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A P.E.I. man who stole a woman’s purse when she left it outside a courthouse before going inside for her own court appearance was sentenced recently to 90 days in jail on multiple charges.
Devon Morris MacLean appeared before Judge John Douglas in provincial court in Charlottetown recently where he pleaded guilty to stealing the purse, possessing methamphetamine, possessing stolen property and possessing break-and-enter tools.
Crown attorney Lisa Goulden told the court that on Aug. 7, Charlottetown police responded to a report of suspicious people in a backyard.
MacLean was later arrested with bolt cutters and stolen sneakers along with other items in a kit bag.
In a separate incident, Goulden said MacLean and a woman were both scheduled to be in court on the same day.
The woman left her purse outside the courthouse and MacLean took it.
When the police arrested MacLean, he had 19 methamphetamine pills stamped with the word “ice” on them.
'Tired of doing this'
During the recent proceedings, MacLean addressed the court to say he has been dealing with addiction for about 10 years and has been in and out of detox centres.
“It’s never worked for me,” he said.
MacLean said P.E.I. doesn’t have proper treatment available for drug addiction and he wouldn’t have done any of what he did if he had been sober.
He later told the court he is doing everything he can to turn his life around.
MacLean also said he wants to get help and doesn’t want to miss any more of his life.
“I’m tired of doing this,” he said.
Along with the jail time, which MacLean will serve on weekends, the 30-year-old man will be on probation for one year after his release.
