Surrey man with 50 convictions gets 5 1/2 years for possession of load
Credit to Author: Keith Fraser| Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2019 23:59:31 +0000
A Surrey man with more than 50 criminal convictions has been handed a 5-1/2 year jail term for possessing a loaded firearm and a number of other offences.
Curtis Alexander Homeniuk, 39, was arrested on Jan. 26, 2018 after RCMP were called to his home at 8915 140 Street following a 911 call. When police conducted a “safety” search of the residence, they found a man bleeding heavily and arranged to have him taken to hospital.
After executing a search warrant, police found a sawed-off Ruger rifle under the mattress of Homeniuk’s bed. They also seized an oversized magazine and ammunition. At the time of his arrest, Homeniuk had been banned from possessing firearms from a previous criminal conviction.
Also found in the home were several stolen items including a police laptop, a B.C. Ambulance Service jacket, a security company jacket, and several chequebooks.
Police also found multiple identity documents, including B.C. drivers licenses under other names and credit cards under names other than Homeniuk.
When searched later, police found small quantities of heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine.
Devlin heard that the accused had more than 50 previous convictions, including mischief, theft, break and enter, assault with a weapon, obstruction of justice, and robbery. He also had numerous driving offences, including for driving a van that struck and killed a runner in Surrey in 2000.
At the time of his current offences, he was serving a conditional sentence order arising from a conviction in 2016 for assault with a weapon and uttering threats.
In imposing sentence Thursday, the judge said there were several aggravating factors, including that he was selling drugs to support his own drug habit, and was living in a flophouse full of other drug addicts and where police found the man who had been assaulted.
“As the Crown described, the gun was a tool of Mr. Homeniuk’s drug trade,” said the judge. “There was simply no possible benign reason for his unlawful possession of a loaded gun.
“In my view, these circumstances are particularly concerning and present an additional danger no less troubling than having the gun in a public place.”
Mitigating factors included Homeniuk’s efforts at rehabilitation, his apology to the court, and his desire to turn his life around for the benefit of his children. The judge also considered the accused’s Aboriginal background.
After receiving credit for pre-sentence custody, Homeniuk will have about three years and seven months of time remaining.