GRAVELLE CALLS FIVE-YEAR SENTENCE 'VACATION'

A member of the notorious Gravelle family -- whom the judge described
as a "reckless and dangerous" offender -- maintained an upbeat mood
after he was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary on drug and
gun charges yesterday.

"Just think of it as a long vacation," said 27-year-old Richard
Gravelle, as he waved and smiled at friends and supporters in the courtroom.

Earlier, when his mother interrupted the court proceedings by crying
loudly in the courtroom, he calmly tried to assure her that he'd be
all right. "Mom, I could use a vacation."

"No, it's not OK," she sobbed as she ran out of the courtroom.

Gravelle then pleaded guilty to numerous criminal charges relating to
a raid at his Duncombe Drive home on May 29, 2008, when police found
an arsenal of dangerous weapons, including handguns, a sawed-off
shotgun and assault rifles.

Police also discovered 299 marijuana plants and 2.58 kilograms of
processed marijuana and seized $41,000 of drug money.

There was also ammunition in the house for all the firearms and a
loaded handgun.

After the May 29 raid, Gravelle was released on $85,000 bail and
placed on bail conditions that constituted house arrest.

Last week, the day before he was expected to plead guilty on the May
29 charges, he was arrested again with his 18-year-old girlfriend,
Ashley Oliver, and charged with raft of new offences in connection
with another grow house at 297 Balmoral Avenue North.

In the house, police found 172 marijuana plants, 177 grams of
processed marijuana and a quantity of ecstasy pills.

When Gravelle and Oliver were arrested near the house, they both gave
police false names and were later charged with numerous drug charges.

Gravelle yesterday pleaded to additional charges of marijuana
cultivation, breach of recognizance and obstruct justice in
connection with the Sept. 26 arrest.

In handing down the five-year penitentiary sentence for both sets of
charges, Ontario Justice Norm Bennett said he considered the facts of
the case most "grave and serious." He said he considered Gravelle a
"reckless and dangerous young man" who had no respect for the laws of
the land, court orders or the safety of others. He also chastised
Gravelle for dragging his young girlfriend into the "mess" and for
committing more offences the night before his expected guilty plea last week.

Oliver, who has spent five days in jail, was placed on probation for
one year and ordered to keep away from criminals, except her boyfriend.

Her lawyer Barry Caskie had argued that it would be useless to try to
keep the pair apart because they'd been involved in a two-year
relationship and were deeply in love. The Crown withdrew drug and
weapons charges against Oliver relating to the police raids on May 29
and Sept. 26. Similar charges were dropped against another
20-year-old woman who was also charged in May.

The Crown withdrew gun-related charges against 38-year-old Christian
Gravelle, who was also charged in the Duncombe Drive raid. He still
faces drug possession charges for which he's to appear in court on
Oct. 28. Christian is Richard Gravelle's cousin.

Four members of the Gravelle clan, including Richard's father Daniel,
were among 15 people charged in Nova Scotia last month in connection
with a $15 million hash oil smuggling operation.