A drug addict, who experienced narcotics for the first time when he was injected by his own mother, has been sentenced to nine months in jail for stealing from local stores.
Christian Colpitts is a brazen shoplifter with 63 convictions for theft, two robberies and 14 breaches on his criminal record, prosecutor Liane O’Grady told Victoria provincial court.
Colpitts, 34, pleaded guilty to stealing $2,000 worth of winter jackets, sports shirts and a sports bag from SportChek on Feb. 19, stealing a $370 North Face jacket from Atmosphere sports clothing on Feb. 22 and stealing four winter jackets worth more than $1,000 from SportChek on Feb. 22.
Colpitts also pleaded guilty to stealing 10 cartons of Ben and Jerry ice cream worth $70 from 7-Eleven on Feb. 27 and filling a shopping cart at Safeway with $928 worth of stolen groceries and hygiene products on March 12. On March 17, he stole a $40 bottle of tequila from Spinnakers brewpub.
Except for the shopping cart, none of the items were recovered, O’Grady said.
“He simply goes into a store and grabs stuff,” she said. “Significant amounts were stolen.”
Defence lawyer Tom Morino said Colpitts never stood a chance. He grew up in Ottawa with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and has only a Grade 9 education. Both his parents were addicts and after his mother injected him with drugs, he became an addict himself.
“The die was cast,” Morino said.
His parents not only condoned, but essentially encouraged Colpitts to become a thief, Morino said. They taught him disrespect of police and the law.
“From a very young age, he was brainwashed by his parents. It’s little wonder he’s amassed the record that he has.”
Now however, Colpitts’s fiancée is pregnant and this has encouraged him to try to turn his life around, Morino said. He has recently made contact with drug and alcohol counsellors.
“He wants the court to know he’s genuine. He is very anxious to be a supportive parent and does not want his child to be raised the way he was,” Morino said.
Colpitts stood and apologized for his actions. He told Judge Josiah Wood he has lots of mental- health issues and realizes that becoming a father means he has to change his ways.
“This time is from my heart. I really, really need this chance. I really am sorry,” he said.
Wood accepted the Crown’s submission for eight nine-month jail sentences to be served concurrently. “Notwithstanding all the tragedy of your childhood and the way in which you were raised or not raised by your parents, you’ve had plenty of opportunity over the years, plenty of signals that it’s time to change,” Wood said. “If, indeed, you are sincere about your intention to change, so much the better.”
After he serves his jail sentence, Colpitts will be on probation for 12 months with conditions not to go to 7-Eleven, SportChek, Atmosphere, Safeway, Save-on-Foods or Spinnakers. He must also take counselling and treatment as directed by his probation officer.
