Beau Desire-Tesar was handed 18 months in jail for his part in a massive theft of guns, ammunition and jewellery from a home on Yellowknife’s Rivett Crescent during 2018’s Thanksgiving weekend.
NWT Territorial Court Judge Donovan Molloy on Friday chose a sentence that fell between Crown and defence recommendations. Desire-Tesar was earlier convicted of theft over $5,000 and possessing a prohibited weapon obtained by crime.
Desire-Tesar will face two years’ probation once released and must pay $8,118.85 in restitution.
At the November 9 sentencing argument hearing, Crown prosecutor Morgan Fane said Desire-Tesar had been invited to a party at the home on October 8, 2018.
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“During the course of the party, it became apparent to Mr Desire-Tesar that there were valuables inside the home,” said Fane.
In the early morning, after the other guests left and with the host asleep, Desire-Tesar removed some gun safes, not knowing what was inside.
The contents included nine non-restricted firearms, a semi-automatic 9-mm handgun, magazines, scopes, ammunition, knives and outdoor electronic accessories. There was also a one-carat diamond alongside a white gold pendant necklace.
In all, the items taken were valued by the homeowners at $50,000.
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Fane said three of the non-restricted firearms are still missing, as are the outdoor accessories and jewellery.
The prosecutor had called for a 21-month sentence for possessing a stolen firearm and six months to be served concurrently for theft over $5,000. He also asked for a three-year period of probation and the loss payback.
Defence lawyer David Tarnow called for a sentence of 16 months with restitution.
The court heard Desire-Tesar is $20,000 in debt. Desire-Tesar’s intention was to earn money by selling the stolen weapons and merchandise.
The 34-year old has a criminal record that includes convictions for trafficking and theft under $5,000. He was subject to a 10-year firearms prohibition at the time of the Rivett Crescent theft.
Desire-Tesar has accumulated 366 days of remand credit to be deducted from the 18-month concurrent sentence for each count.
He will also have to provide a DNA sample for the national databank and be subject to a lifetime firearm prohibition. H
e will have to stay clean and sober while on probation and not be within 500 metres of the Rivett Crescent home from which he stole.
Desire-Tesar had told the court his actions were the result of addiction. He said he is now clean and never wants to return to using illegal drugs.
