CAM FORTEMS
KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK
An apprentice electrician who held up nine banks in three provinces during a two-month crime spree 鈥� including one in Vernon 鈥� was sentenced on Tuesday to seven years in prison.
Shaun Cornish, 29, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from robberies in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan in late 2014 and early 2015. Prosecutors sought a sentence of up to 12 years behind bars, but B.C. Supreme Court Justice Keith Bracken ruled the first-time offender stands a good chance of rehabilitation, is remorseful and can once again become a productive member of society.
With credit for 13 months already spent in jail, Cornish has another four years to serve in a federal penitentiary.
The defence submitted letters of support from friends and family.
鈥淎ll the letters have the same theme,鈥� Bracken said. 鈥淭he charges are surprising to the letter writer and completely out of character.鈥�
Cornish wielded a fake handgun in eight of the nine robberies, typically apologizing to clerks.
Court heard Cornish鈥檚 bank-robbing spree began on Dec. 1, 2014, in Princeton. In that case, he used a cellphone to call in a decoy 911 report about a suspicious man with a bat, then walked into a bank armed with an imitation handgun and demanded cash.
Crown prosecutor Evan Goulet said Cornish walked into the bank, sat down across from a teller and asked how her day was going.
鈥淪he said, 鈥楩ine,鈥欌�� Goulet said. 鈥淗e said, 鈥業鈥檓 sorry, it鈥檚 just going to get worse.鈥欌��
Cornish made off with $485 鈥� a paltry sum in comparison to amounts he collected at later holdups.
Eight days after the Princeton robbery, Cornish walked into an Interior Savings branch in Vernon, pulled his imitation firearm from his waistband and asked for 鈥渆veryone鈥檚 money.鈥�
Goulet said Cornish became agitated, raising his voice and asking tellers if they wanted to spend Christmas with their families. He was given an undisclosed amount of money.
鈥淗e apologized, wished them happy holidays and left,鈥� Goulet said.
On Dec. 19, 2014, Cornish pulled a similar robbery at a Scotiabank in High River, demanding large bills only and no dye packs.
鈥淥ne of the customers asked if he was robbing them,鈥� Goulet said. 鈥淢r. Cornish replied, 鈥楴o, man, I鈥檓 not robbing you. I鈥檓 robbing them.鈥欌��
Again, Cornish was apologetic.
鈥淢r. Cornish took $2,050, mumbled 鈥業鈥檓 sorry鈥� and casually left the bank,鈥� Goulet said.
Four days later, on Dec. 23, 2014, Cornish made off with $4,150 from a Royal Bank branch in Merritt. On Jan. 8, 2015, he robbed a branch of the same bank in Swift Current, Sask., of more than $1,200. In mid-January 2015, Cornish held up banks in Lethbridge, Alta., Claresholm, Alta., and Aldergrove, B.C., before driving north to commit his final robbery.
On Jan. 28, 2015, he entered a CIBC in Dawson Creek, B.C., pulled his imitation pistol and approached a teller, who was counting money.
鈥淢r. Cornish reached across the counter and took most of the money while saying, 鈥業鈥檓 sorry,鈥� and, 鈥業 know this f鈥�-ing sucks,鈥欌�� Goulet said.
Cornish, who wore a disguise of sunglasses and a hat for all of his robberies, was done in by a surveillance camera at a store near the Dawson Creek CIBC. It showed a white truck pulling into a parking space, a man exiting the vehicle and returning a short time later.
鈥淗is face is exposed at this time,鈥� Goulet said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 cash in one hand and a pistol in the other.鈥�
Police used the licence plate on Cornish鈥檚 truck to track him to a hotel in Grande Prairie, Alta., where he was arrested by an RCMP tactical team on Jan. 30, 2015. He has been in custody since.
Court heard Cornish has no criminal record and no mental-health issues. What he did have at the time was considerable debt, a penchant for gambling and a recreational drug habit. He was only months from graduating to become a journeyman electrician before his crime spree began.
鈥淚t seems Mr. Cornish鈥檚 substance problems, his affinity for gambling and his debt have led to his downfall,鈥� Goulet said. 鈥淗e appears to be doing well in custody and he has no record. On the other hand, he鈥檚 committed nine bank robberies.鈥�
Goulet argued for a prison term in the range of eight to 12 years given the seriousness of Cornish鈥檚 offences.
Defence lawyer Dale Melville, meanwhile, has recommended a prison sentence of six years.
鈥淗e has no criminal record,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 pled guilty to these offences.鈥�
Court heard Cornish had a healthy upbringing and excelled in school. He lost his job and owed $60,000 to various creditors before deciding to rob banks.
