A man whose car was parked in the driveway when the owners of a house he broke into came home was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in jail.
Cameron Geoffrey Dobson appeared before Chief Judge John Douglas in provincial court in Charlottetown where he was sentenced on several charges including break and enter.
The court heard that on Oct. 2, 2014 a couple returned to their home and found a car parked in the driveway. They thought the car was connected to their neighbours so they didn’t think it was unusual.
Instead, a man who had just broken into their home came around the corner and asked the husband to move because he was blocking the driveway.
The wife had briefly gone in the house but didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary before going back outside.
Eventually Dobson tried to drive around the couple’s vehicle, hitting the woman and damaging the sidewalk when his car bottomed out.
She wasn’t injured.
The homeowners later found several men’s rings were stolen, including a wedding band.
They later identified Dobson from a photo lineup and the police arrested him.
Crown attorney Jeff MacDonald said the woman has suffered anxiety attacks since the incident.
Defence lawyer Thane MacEachern told the court his client saw the homeowners leave and didn’t think they would be back while he was in the home. He said Dobson is starting to recognize the negative influences in his life and has the motivation to deal with his addictions.
Along with 18 months in jail for the break and enter, Douglas sentenced Dobson to two months for dangerous driving to be served concurrently.
After his release Dobson will be on probation for two years.
Douglas ordered Dobson to pay $400 in victim surcharges and $100 in restitution. He is also banned from driving for one year.
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