A man who pleaded guilty in Prince George Provincial Court to break and enter was sentenced Feb. 3 to time served and ordered to be on probation for 18 months.
Gary David John, 23, had been in custody for 323 days and was given time-and-a-half credit for 485 days.
At 4:40 a.m. on March 27, 2025 a homeowner observed John with a large knife, trying to break into a townhouse.
Court heard that the Indigenous man from near Fort St. James had been raised in Prince George. Throughout his childhood, his parents struggled with substance abuse which resulted in John going in and out of ministry care.
He was assessed at age seven with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder, a subtype of fetal alcohol syndrome, and suffered developmental disabilities to the extent that he became eligible for Community Living B.C. programs.
Associate Chief Judge Paul Dohm told John to do himself “a favour” while on probation and complete treatment.
“That's what you need,” Dohm said. “It'll help you best adjust to life out of custody, since you've been in there for a long time now. And it'll help you stay on the right track.”
