One-shoed gum thief led cops on car chase
By Bill Sawchuk, St. Catharines Standard
First posted: Wednesday, December 03, 2014 08:14 AM EST | Updated: Wednesday, December 03, 2014 09:55 AM EST
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — A man who sparked a police car chase after he stole $500 worth of gum got a nine-month conditional sentence on Tuesday.
Chad Cyopeck, 35, pleaded guilty to flight from police in a St. Catharines, Ont., court.
The court heard that at about 10 p.m. on March 23, a security officer at a Zehrs grocery store saw Cyopeck, who was wearing only one shoe, load a "large quantity" of gum into reusable pink shopping bags and leave the store.
When police arrived, Cyopeck left the gum in the parking lot and fled in a car.
He refused to pull over for police, leading to a 15 km car chase.
"He just panicked," defence lawyer Jeff Root said. "Upon reflection, he feels it was just ridiculous. He is thankful no one was injured."
Root said Cyopeck has already finished a six-month stint of in-patient drug and alcohol treatment at an addiction facility. He has a degree in sociology and criminology and will return there to serve the house-arrest portion of his conditional sentence as a volunteer counsellor.
In addition to five months of house arrest, Cyopeck will have a curfew for four months and is banned from driving for one year.
He has no previous criminal record.
One-shoed gum thief led cops on car chase | Weird | News | Toronto Sun
By Bill Sawchuk, St. Catharines Standard
First posted: Wednesday, December 03, 2014 08:14 AM EST | Updated: Wednesday, December 03, 2014 09:55 AM EST
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — A man who sparked a police car chase after he stole $500 worth of gum got a nine-month conditional sentence on Tuesday.
Chad Cyopeck, 35, pleaded guilty to flight from police in a St. Catharines, Ont., court.
The court heard that at about 10 p.m. on March 23, a security officer at a Zehrs grocery store saw Cyopeck, who was wearing only one shoe, load a "large quantity" of gum into reusable pink shopping bags and leave the store.
When police arrived, Cyopeck left the gum in the parking lot and fled in a car.
He refused to pull over for police, leading to a 15 km car chase.
"He just panicked," defence lawyer Jeff Root said. "Upon reflection, he feels it was just ridiculous. He is thankful no one was injured."
Root said Cyopeck has already finished a six-month stint of in-patient drug and alcohol treatment at an addiction facility. He has a degree in sociology and criminology and will return there to serve the house-arrest portion of his conditional sentence as a volunteer counsellor.
In addition to five months of house arrest, Cyopeck will have a curfew for four months and is banned from driving for one year.
He has no previous criminal record.
One-shoed gum thief led cops on car chase | Weird | News | Toronto Sun