A client from our firm – of French nationality – was charged with theft of under $5000 committed against Sears Canada.
In this case, he had come to the store with his wife and had stolen property in the amount of $422.00.
A security guard watched the scene play out and our client was intercepted upon leaving the store.
The merchandise was recovered and Sears suffered no loss.
Our client entered a guilty plea at his court appearance and the defence requested a discharge.
We entered the following mitigating factors into evidence:
- Our client’s young age
- Absence of a criminal record
- Pending separation and job loss at the time of the theft, which explains the context of the offence
- Remorse and regrets
- In the process of getting a contractor’s licence from RBQ
- Father of two children who advocates pro-social values despite his fault
- Wants to obtain Canadian citizenship
The court accepted our suggestion and granted him an absolute discharge involving a $500.00 donation to a charitable organization.
Our client avoided a criminal record