A Provincial Court judge gave a 36-year-old Prince George man a suspended sentence and a year on probation for shoplifting nearly $600 of goods.
Travis Howard Golar pleaded guilty on Jan. 14 before Judge David Simpkin, who also banned him from going within 50 metres of Real Canadian Superstore.
Court heard that a member of the Prince George RCMP Problem Oriented Policing team arrested Golar after a store detective noticed a theft in progress on March 28, 2024.
Upon arrest, Golar dropped items he stole, worth $565.71, and showed the officer his government-issued identification. He was charged with theft under $5,000.
Simpkin called the circumstances “a little strange” because Golar was not shoplifting to support a drug habit. Instead, Golar was motivated by three daughters visiting from out-of-town.
“He found himself in dire financial straits and he didn't have food in the house, and he didn't have anything to give them as kids,” Simpkin said. “So he committed this offence and stole items such as groceries, earrings, makeup, and the like. Stealing the jacket and putting it on under your own jacket, that seems to be more for your benefit.”
“I wanted to look sharp,” Golar interjected. “I hadn’t seen my daughters for years.”
Crown prosecutor Stephanie Bowick sought a 30-day jail sentence and one-year probation, based on Golar’s criminal record. Bowick said he had breached 25 orders, undertakings and probation and was convicted five previous times for theft. His last time in jail was 2017, a 120-day sentence for assault causing bodily harm.
Golar’s lawyer, Connor Carleton, asked for a suspended sentence and condition to stay away from the store. He said Golar is the father of seven children, with an eighth on the way, and emphasized his Indigenous background as a Burns Lake-born member of the Lake Babine Nation. Carleton said Golar became certified last year as a forest firefighter and gained a month’s work experience.
Simpkin said he understood the Crown’s sentence proposal, but told Golar “it would be a retrograde step to send you back to jail.”
“People commit offences for a whole host of reasons and you had your own very personal reasons for this offending behaviour, which I don't think it's going to reoccur,” Simpkin said. “You told me that if I don't send you to jail, I'll not see you again, and that's a good thing. I think you seem very genuine about that, Mr. Golar.”
