Guilty plea for new rash of crimes

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This article was published 20/07/2010 (5646 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A prolific Winnipeg criminal once dubbed a “one-man wrecking crew” has pleaded guilty to his latest rampage and could be facing a lengthy prison term.

Jody Duczminski, 26, admitted Monday to a series of crimes stemming from an incident last summer when he led police on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle after calling 911 claiming he had a gun and was prepared to harm both himself and any officers who tried to stop him.

Police say Duczminski reached speeds of 160 kilometres per hour while racing around the south Perimeter Highway in a Mitsubishi Lancer that had been stolen from a Transcona car dealership. Police eventually got the car stopped without injury or major damage. No weapons were found.

Duczminski has now pleaded guilty to charges including motor-vehicle theft, evading police, uttering threats and public mischief. He is being held in custody and will be sentenced later this fall, where the Crown is expected to seek significant prison time.

Duczminski has a lengthy history with the criminal justice system. He was sentenced to two years in prison for a 2002 car theft and arson spree that caused nearly $1 million in damages. He reoffended just weeks after he was released on parole in 2003 with a string of crimes, including trying to mug an elderly woman, driving stolen cars through two gas station kiosks and stealing food items, robbing a Dickie Dee ice cream driver and leading police on a high-speed car chase through the city.

Provincial court Judge Linda Giesbrecht sentenced Duczminski to the equivalent of 32 months time served for that spree, which caused more than $50,000 damage.