Thief gets last chance to avoid jail

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This article was published 21/02/2022 (1245 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A woman who reoffended less than a month after being sentenced found herself back before the same judge in Steinbach provincial court last Thursday.

Judge Larry Allen sentenced Tara Louise Kaminski to a one-day jail sentence equal to her court appearance and 12 months of supervised probation.

Court heard Kaminski stole a Toyota Tercel from Anytime Fitness on the morning of Nov. 11, 2021. She first entered the gym and rifled through a duffle bag in the men’s locker room, stealing a wallet and keys.

She then spent $200 at Esso and $395 at Blatz Bistro. Police arrested her a short time later after she attempted to hide under a truck.

Kaminski pleaded guilty to one count of theft of a motor vehicle and one count of theft under $5,000. She was banned from attending the gym and bistro.

Crown attorney Inderjit Singh said the bank card transactions were reversed, precluding the need for restitution. The stolen car was later found in the Southland Church parking lot.

Allen last sentenced Kaminski on Oct. 14, 2021 for shoplifting from the Sarto General Store, Steinbach Real Canadian Superstore, and Dollarama. She received a 12-month suspended sentence with supervised probation, a $486 restitution order, and a $200 fine for a missed court appearance.

“The issue is that Ms. Kaminski did the exact same thing, right after,” Singh said. “We’re at the end of non-custodial sentences.”

Kaminski was also previously convicted of theft under $5,000 in 2013 but avoided involvement with the law for the next seven years.

Defence lawyer Josh Rogala said his client has struggled with drug addiction and homelessness since March 2021.

Kaminski told the judge the same thing she did in October: that she was stealing to survive because she couldn’t afford food and rent. The judge didn’t buy it, saying her criminality is separate from her addiction issues.

“It’s time to stop feeling sorry for yourself and take the bull by the horns,” he said.

In what has become a frequently occurrence, Allen reluctantly accepted a sentencing suggestion he viewed as light. But the judge made it clear that another theft would send Kaminski to jail for a month or more.