HEROIN FUELS CRIME SPREE

An addiction to heroin has led a young Maple Ridge man to facing nearly
five years in a federal prison.

Darren Lee Paterson, 21, pleaded guilty Friday to eight counts of robbery
and two counts of attempted robbery in connection with a series of holdups
at local stores earlier this spring.

Paterson is responsible for stickups at least nine businesses and the
robbery of a taxi driver between Mar. 11 and 30.

But this was not the beginning of his robbery career, explained Crown
prosecutor Samantha MacArthur.

When the most recent rash of robberies occurred, Paterson was already
serving a 20-month conditional sentence for robbing the 7-Eleven
convenience store at 223 Street and Dewdney Trunk Road with a sawed-off
shotgun in October 1999.

In that case, he was arrested a few days after the robbery following a
police chase in a stolen vehicle. The shotgun was found in the vehicle and
Paterson was given the equivalent of a two-year sentence for those crimes.
The judge ordered that he spend the remaining 20 months of his sentence in
the community, provided he could keep the peace.

That conditional sentence was revoked Mar. 30, when Paterson was rearrested
and charged in connection with the March series of robberies.

Now, he must serve the remainder of his first sentence (431 days) in jail,
plus an additional four years in prison, Judge Susan Antifaev ruled on Friday.

Paterson did not have a history with police as a youngster.

He developed a drug addiction during his teens that quickly grew out of
control. MacArthur said he was unable to kick his habit and turned to crime.

"It's a sad thing to see," she said. "But it [a long prison sentence] had
to be done because the community has to be protected. It is sad."

What made Paterson's crime spree most noticeable locally was the large
number of robberies in a short period of time, along with his choice of a
weapon.

Paterson used a knife during five of the robberies and a hypodermic syringe
during the other five.

MacArthur noted that Paterson did not hurt anyone during the robberies, but
he did seriously scare his victims.

He was in court last week where he confessed to all the robberies, even
some that police could not have proved, MacArthur said.

He confess to robbing Travelodge, a Mission taxi driver, Tack Wagon,
Sunrise Point Gallery, Just Ducky, Looney Mart and two robberies at the
Sleep Shop. He attempted, but failed to get cash from the Sea Treasures
fish store and Meadows Cleaners.

Within a few hours of the last robbery at Looney Mart, Paterson was
arrested. Police had already issued a warrant for his arrest after the
sixth robbery, MacArthur said.

In Maple Ridge provincial court Friday afternoon, Judge Antifaev accepted
Paterson's plea of guilty and ordered him to spend time in all his jail
time in a federal prison. He was also prohibited from owning a firearm for
life.