Local

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Mother sentenced for armed robbery

By: Mike McIntyre

Posted: 11/15/2012 5:30 PM | Comments: 0

A 20-year-old mother of two young children blames depression — and alcohol — for an armed robbery which will now separate her from her family.

Karly Grace Spence pleaded guilty on Thursday to bursting into an Ellice Avenue 7-Eleven, holding a knife to the female clerk’s throat and stealing more than $600 worth of cash and cigarettes. Spence was just 18 at the time of the September 2010 attack and had no prior criminal record.

The Crown was seeking a three-year prison sentence for Spence, saying that’s the typical starting point for crimes of this type. But Queen’s Bench Justice Jeffrey Oliphant agreed to the defence request for a more lenient 90-day sentence which Spence will be allowed to serve intermittently on weekends.

"I hope you realize I’ve given you a break. I hope never to see you here in court again, because there will be no more breaks for you," Oliphant told the young woman, who was joined in court by her parents.

Spence apologized for her actions and admitted she has little memory of the night. Her lawyer told court Spence had been in a deep funk and was looking for an easy way to make some quick money.

Spence has been deemed a medium-risk to re-offend, largely because the father of her two children is a convicted criminal who is currently free on parole. Oliphant expressed concern Thursday about Spence’s future prospects given that relationship. Spence is currently being treated for a serious blood clot, which Oliphant factored into his decision along with her remorse and existing child care issues.

Police arrested Spence, and another female co-accused, near the scene of the robbery within minutes of it happening just before 9 a.m. on a Saturday, court was told. Spence was severely intoxicated at the time. The victim suffered no physical injury but was emotionally traumatized, court was told.

Oliphant’s decision to give Spence the maximum intermittent sentence also allows him to place her on three years of supervised probation, with conditions which include a nightly curfew. Probation was not available if the Crown’s sentencing request was accepted.

Spence will have to report to jail every Friday evening, and will be released from custody on Sunday afternoons. Her parents will watch her children while she’s behind bars. Every weekend will count towards three days of her sentence, meaning it will take 30 weeks to complete the entire punishment.

www.mikeoncrime.com

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.