A 15-year-old Calgary teen who mocked police for taking too long to catch him during a three-hour reckless driving spree has been sentenced to one year in custody. The youth, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and fleeing police, among other charges, bringing his total criminal convictions to 30.
Judge cites dire future predictions
In her written decision, Justice Susan Borsic of the Court of Justice noted that presentence and psychiatric reports painted a bleak picture of the teen's future. The judge accepted the Crown's submission for nine months of open custody in a less-restrictive youth facility, followed by three months of community supervision.
Family ties to Hells Angels
The teen told report writers that his family is heavily entrenched in crime and affiliated with the Hells Angels. According to Borsic, the youth claimed this led to his initial involvement in crime and would make it almost impossible to discontinue in the future. The judge also referred the teen to the child welfare system due to his unstable family history.
Details of the chase
The incident began on Jan. 25 at 8:10 p.m., when Calgary police spotted the teen driving a stolen Dodge Durango at high speed on 4th Street and Northmount Drive N.W. A police helicopter tracked the vehicle as it reached speeds of 180 to 190 km/h on Deerfoot Trail and 130 km/h in a 60 km/h zone on Macleod Trail. The teen ran multiple red lights, weaved through traffic in snowy and icy conditions, and fled when officers attempted a traffic stop.
At 11:22 p.m., the teen exited the vehicle in Somerside Park S.W. and fled on foot before being apprehended with the help of a police dog. Officers found him in possession of a universal programmable key fob and an electronic vehicle cloning device. After being read his rights, the teen told police the vehicle had been stolen from a dealership and mocked them for not catching him sooner.
