Judge questions suspended sentence request for repeat offender

PENTICTON – A Penticton judge will require further proof a woman with a long criminal history is changing her ways before sentencing her for possession of stolen property and other charges in court today.

Crown Prosecutor Ann Lerchs told court Danielle Leona Bonnamour was caught by Summerland police on March 5, 2018, after being seen by police with a man near donation bins that were commonly known for being vandalized.

Bonnamour and the man were observed transferring items from the donation bin to a white vehicle parked nearby.

Police also found a glass pipe on the console of the vehicle, of a type commonly used to smoke illicit drugs.

The two were arrested for possession of a controlled substance. A search of the vehicle turned up a purse containing Bonnamour’s identification as well as a driver’s license that had been stolen from a Kelowna woman on Feb. 20, 2018.

Bonnamour was under a probation order not to possess credit or identification cards not in her own name.

Lerchs asked Judge Michelle Daneliuk for a 14-day concurrent jail sentence on each count, noting Bonnamour’s previous convictions for theft, possession of stolen property and two fraud charges.

Defence lawyer Michael Patterson admitted his client was ‘no stranger to the courts” but described a six-year gap in Bonnamour’s conviction list.

He said his client saved the court’s time by entering guilty pleas and said her transgressions were all in support of a drug habit.

Patterson said his client was interested in getting treatment, and was mother to a young daughter.

He said his client was remorseful for what she’d done, asking the judge to consider a suspended sentence and a six-month probationary period so she could seek treatment.

He said his client had been “the best I’ve seen her” in the last couple of years, and had recently relocated to Kelowna, adding she had not committed any offences since the ones before court today.

Judge Daneliuk had lots of questions regarding Bonnamour’s present status.

“How old is the child, how long has the child been living with her, where are they actually living, is anyone living with them, is anyone else able to care for the child?” she asked.

The judge also had questions regarding Bonnamour’s attempt to seek treatment.

“I’m looking at this criminal history, Mr. Patterson, and your client has a history of fraud, theft, possession of stolen property all related to what is before me now. She had a 120-day jail sentence on her last (sentencing), asking for six months probation for someone who got 120 days on their last go-around is pretty exceptional,” Daneliuk said.

The judge adjourned the matter for 30 days to allow time for defence to answer the judge’s question and put forward a previously ordered pre-sentence report on Bonnamour.

“I think you’ve got a little bit of an uphill battle here, with respect to criminal history,” the judge said to Patterson.

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