Being homeless and addicted to drugs was a bad combination for Dalton James Cameron, who, for months, relied on stealing food and lottery tickets from stores and gas stations to survive.
Cameron’s initial offence occurred on Feb. 12, when he entered the Co-op gas bar and — while staff were distracted — grabbed $30 worth of scratch lottery tickets and left without paying, Crown prosecutor Monique Paquin explained in Moose Jaw Provincial Court recently.
Video surveillance helped police identify him.
Between April 3 and 26, Cameron:
- Visited the Esso gas station on Manitoba Street and stole cigarettes and lottery tickets after his credit card was declined
- Visited Walmart and fled out the emergency exit with unpaid items
- Visited The Source in the Town ‘n’ Country Mall and stole three Beats headphones, a Bluetooth speaker and Sony headphones totalling $1,330
- Visited the Co-op liquor store and stole a $50 bottle of vodka, fleeing out the emergency exit
On May 10, Cameron entered Carr’s Confectionary on Fourth Avenue Southwest and asked for $20 worth of lottery tickets, said Paquin. When staff put the tickets on the counter, he grabbed them and ran.
The next day, police visited the Unique Smoke Shop on Main Street North about a break-in, where Cameron had smashed the front door and went to the area containing lottery tickets, smokes and tobacco, she continued. He stole six packs of tobacco valued at $300, a carton of cigarettes for $180, 15 torch lighters for $375 and four vaping materials worth $600.
The products’ total value was $1,455.
Between May 21 and 23, Cameron:
- Visited Philthy Philly’s restaurant on Main Street and stole a sandwich and the tip jar containing $60
- Visited the Co-op grocery store and stole $60 worth of products
- Broke into the downtown Tim Horton’s drive-thru and stole the cashier’s till; police caught him running down the alley
Cameron has racked up 66 offences during the past six years, with some offences including three for violence, 27 for property matters and 34 breaches, said Paquin.
As part of a joint submission, Cameron — who pleaded guilty to all 11 charges — will spend the next 180 days in jail, she continued. That length is appropriate since he received a 120-day jail sentence for other offences last October.
Since Cameron has spent 101 days on remand after his arrest in May, the court credited him with 152 days, leaving him to serve 28.
Paquin added that while the man’s charges are minor, he will receive a stiffer jail sentence in the future because of how many offences he continues to acquire.
Cameron, 23, grew up in Moose Jaw and, at age 16, began using crystal meth and struggled with addiction, Legal Aid lawyer Suzanne Jeanson said. However, he was sober from roughly 2019 to 2022 because he lived with family in Alberta, where there were no relapse-related triggers.
Cameron plans to return there after he is released from jail.
Jeanson pointed out that her client was homeless, using fentanyl, and in a toxic relationship during this four-month crime spree. She added that he is sorry, embarrassed, and hopes to have a fresh start after his release.
“I’m encouraged by … your desire to rehabilitate and to return to Alberta … where apparently your life was put back on a positive track before returning to Moose Jaw,” Judge David Chow said. “You have a very long history for a young man of property-related offences … that causes me a great deal of concern.”
Chow then accepted the joint submission and agreed to waive the victim surcharge.
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