JUDGE ASKS COMMUNITY TO 'HOLD BREATH' AFTER RELEASING YOUNG DRUG OFFENDER

The local provincial court judge is predicting that a Comox Valley
youth who pled guilty to trafficking cocaine will spend his future
inside a federal penitentiary.

Judge Peter Doherty sentenced the youth, who cannot be identified due
to the provisions of the Young Offenders Act, to 18 months of
probation after agreeing with the youth's defence counsel that the Act
did not permit a custodial sentence under the circumstances.

"I don't know if I've ever said this in my 17 years on the bench, but
even though he is only (a youth), I feel it safe to predict that he is
on his way to a federal penitentiary," said Doherty.

"There are deep, underlying problems here. I don't know that anything
I would do here today, especially given the restrictions imposed upon
courts by the Young Offenders Act, will make a wit of difference.

"My prediction is that he'll be back in court on a breach in less than
a month. We can release him into the community and we can all hold our
breath."

The youth's legal troubles began when he broke into a Comox home with
a friend and stole several items, including computers and jewelry. He
was subsequently caught stealing cigarettes and drinking in public
before, in April of this year, things escalated and he was caught
selling cocaine to an undercover cop.

The officer had called an adult he believed was dealing drugs to set
up a buy and the youth showed up at a drop off point near Safeway to
deliver the drugs.

When the officer counted out five $20 bills, the youth spit out three
0.5-gram spitballs of cocaine. Another 1.6 grams of cocaine was found
in his left front pocket.

Conditions of the probation imposed by Doherty include that the youth
abide by a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew seven days a week, he complete 50
hours of community work service and that he attend counseling as directed.

He must also write a letter of apology to the victims of the break and
enter, must not consume alcohol or non-prescription drugs, must not
possess weapons and must attend school as directed.