KENTVILLE, NS - An Annapolis County man will serve a period of imprisonment in the community after being sentenced on 13 charges, including possession of counterfeit money.
Michael Peter Avard, 33, of Nictaux, pleaded guilty to six charges in July. These included two counts of stealing property valued at less than $5,000 from the Atlantic Superstore, possessing a counterfeit $100 American bill, two counts of stealing property valued at less than $5,000 from Walmart and stealing property valued at less than $5,000 from Home Hardware.
Avard consented to being remanded in custody and the matters were adjourned to Sept. 19 to allow time for a pre-sentence report to be prepared and for sentencing.
Avard pleaded guilty to the seven other charges prior to his sentencing on Sept. 19. These included willfully obstructing a member of the RCMP engaged in the execution of her duty of obtaining identification from motor vehicle occupants at a check stop by falsely identifying himself; failing to comply with probation, stealing merchandise valued at less than $5,000 from the Atlantic Superstore, operating a motor vehicle while disqualified and stealing property valued at less than $5,000 from Walmart.
Avard was originally charged with stealing the property of Staples Canada in New Minas and immediately thereafter assaulting a Staples employee. This charge was withdrawn as Avard pleaded guilty to the lesser, included offence of theft and the lesser, included offence of assault.
Judge Christopher Manning handed Avard a total 12-month conditional sentence order on 10 of the charges, with house arrest for the first six months, followed by daily curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. On three of these charges, Avard was sentenced to 12 months of probation to follow.
Avard was handed a suspended sentence with 12 months of probation on the charge of possessing counterfeit money and was sentenced to one day in custody deemed served for operating a motor vehicle while disqualified.
With regard to the assault charge, the court imposed a five-year firearm prohibition against Avard and granted a secondary DNA order.
Avard committed the 13 offences between Jan. 13 and July 14 in Lower Sackville, Berwick, Kingston and New Minas.
Several other charges were withdrawn on Sept. 19, including using a counterfeit $100 American bill as if it were genuine; resisting a member of the Halifax Regional Police engaged in the execution of her duty of effecting an arrest, another count of willfully obstructing a member of the RCMP engaged in the execution of her duty of obtaining identification from motor vehicle occupants during a traffic stop by falsely identifying himself and possessing stolen property.
