An Osoyoos man who committed his first crime in 25 years by stealing wire and equipment from a Osoyoos electrical business was sentenced to 18 months of probation at the Penticton courthouse on Monday.
The court heard that Dennis Robert Trudel, 64, broke into a property where a house was under construction in May 2023 using bolt cutters and other break-in tools. He caused significant damage to an equipment trailer on site and stole over $240 worth of copper wire.
It was revealed that Trudel has a long criminal history, with an unbroken series of offenses from the 1970s through the 1990s. He served a 10-year sentence for robbery in the 1990s but had remained out of legal trouble for 25 years until this incident.
Crown attorney Nashina Devji told Justice Lynett Jung that Trudel appeared to have “matured or changed his behaviour pattern” for nearly 25 years. However, she noted, he fell off the wagon and decided for whatever reasons to commit this crime.
“It is somewhat discouraging he is back before the criminal justice system,” Devji said, especially given how much time he spent in prison 30 and 40 years ago as a young man.
Trudel was found guilty of theft and related charges following a brief trial earlier this year.
Devji said the tools damaged during the break-in belonged to a small electrical business helping build the house. The damage was estimated between $5,000 and $7,000 and significantly impacted the contractor’s ability to take on jobs.
“It did have a profound and significant impact” on the small business, she said.
Although Trudel was scheduled to undergo hernia surgery on Wednesday, this did not influence the Crown’s request for an 18-month suspended sentence.
Conditions include a nightly curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. throughout the probation period. Exceptions to the curfew would require permission from his probation officer, or be allowed for medical appointments and work purposes.
As part of the sentence, Devji requested that Trudel repay $240—the value of the stolen copper wire—and complete 40 hours of community service within the next 12 months.
Given that the crime was committed in the middle of the night, Devji emphasized the importance of a nightly curfew to allow police to check that he is complying with his conditions.
Defence counsel Melissa Lowe requested a 12-month probation period but did not oppose the curfew or other Crown conditions.
Justice Jung agreed that an 18-month probation period was appropriate under the circumstances.
She noted that Trudel had a “really bad record” in the 1980s and 1990s, including a 10-year penitentiary term for robbery in the late 1990s.
It’s very discouraging that a man who is almost age 65 and hadn’t been in any trouble with the law for over 25 years would somehow make a decision to get back into criminal behaviour, said Jung.
She added that the Crown would not have been unreasonable in seeking jail time but agreed an extended probation with strict conditions was appropriate.
It’s troubling that small business owners who work so hard to do good work, pay their bills and try and earn a decent living are negatively impacted by criminal acts like this one, said Jung.
“This is really serious,” she added.
Jung sentenced Trudel to 18 months of probation with a nightly curfew in place for the entire duration. He must also pay $240 in restitution for the stolen copper wire and complete 40 hours of community service work, as determined by his probation officer, within 12 months.
He was ordered to stay away from the electrical business and the house under construction where the incident occurred.
Jung warned Trudel that any breach of his probation conditions would lead to his arrest, charges for breach of probation, and the likelihood of jail time.
This article first appeared in the Penticton Herald.
