Desperate to get to a court appointment in Saskatoon, Collin Edward Foster took his friend’s rental truck without his consent, but left behind a note explaining his situation.
The friend, however, called police to report that his vehicle had been stolen. Police in Saskatoon caught up with Foster and arrested him, while they also recovered the truck.
In Moose Jaw provincial court on April 29, Foster, 43, pleaded guilty to taking a vehicle without consent and — as part of a joint submission — received a fine of $400 with six months to pay.
The Crown stayed a second charge against him.
Foster took the rental vehicle sometime between 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 3 and 9 a.m. on Jan. 4, explained Crown prosecutor Robbie Parker. New Horizon Car and Truck Rental owned the 2017 GMC Sierra truck, which Foster’s friend was using to move.
Foster has a criminal record, but it begins and ends in 2016, said legal aid lawyer Suzanne Jeanson. He got off track because of mental health and addictions issues, but has been working to get better.
“I did gas (the vehicle) up and wash it up (afterward),” Foster told Judge Brian Henderickson, adding he and his friend have been pals for 26 years.
Foster’s friend told Henderickson that this incident is due more to a misunderstanding and a lack of a phone.
“It is a (making a) mountain out of a mole hill,” he said. “Even $400 seems extreme to me.”
The facts presented in this case are “very unusual,” said Judge Henderickson, who accepted the joint submission. In different circumstances, Foster would received a custodial sentence, especially if he had smashed up the truck.
“It is unfortunate it came to this,” the judge added. “This is a situation borne out of desperation.”
Moose Jaw provincial court next meets on April 30.
