The lawyer for a Prince George man who pleaded guilty Jan. 19 told a Provincial Court judge that he shoplifted to feed his children.
Judge Judith Doulis agreed to a joint Crown and defence proposal for a suspended sentence and one-year probation for John Paul Horth, 40.
Horth, who was scheduled for trial, was arrested for theft under $5,000 after a loss prevention officer at the store notified the Prince George RCMP.
Horth and an unknown woman were seen placing items in a shopping cart. The woman transferred several items from the cart to the checkout conveyor belt, but Horth walked out with the remaining goods in the cart and began to load them into his vehicle’s trunk.
An officer in the immediate vicinity was dispatched and pulled up behind the vehicle. Horth showed the officer his BC identification and the $362 worth of goods were recovered.
Defence lawyer Hailey Friesen said Horth has three children with his partner, but they both lost their jobs “for circumstances outside of their control.”
“They were going through a hard time and took some groceries so that they could afford to take care of their kids and to provide for them,” Friesen told Doulis.
Friesen said Horth does not want it to happen again and is working on getting a job and renewing his truck-driving licence.
Under Horth’s probation, he is banned from visiting the Ferry Avenue Superstore and its parking lot.
