Frederick Palmer, a university-educated firefighter, has extraordinary potential, his lawyer told a Sarnia judge.
Frederick Palmer, a university-educated former firefighter, has extraordinary potential, his lawyer told a Sarnia judge.
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But a prescription for medication spiralled into an addiction to crystal meth, lawyer Neil Rooke added.
“He’s a man with limitless potential when sober,” he said.
It was a similar story a different judge heard in February 2023 when Palmer was sentenced to two months in jail for a crime spree.
Justice Mark Poland pointed to that potential as he recently sentenced Palmer, a 44-year-old Lambton Shores resident, to 101 days in jail for an incident last summer in St. Clair Township.
“The reality is that potential remains within you,” the judge told Palmer. “The question is going to be whether you’ve got the power to put drugs in your rear-view mirror.”
Police were called about a man slumped over the steering wheel of a red 1999 Ford F-350 pickup parked on a farm laneway near Telfer Road and Courtright Line shortly before 10 am on Aug. 27. Officers found the pickup, which had no license plate, and the man, who appeared to be sleeping.
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They opened the door, took out the keys and woke him up. Palmer tried to flee, but was caught and arrested for impaired driving after officers found drug paraphernalia.
Lambton OPP learned the pickup was stolen. Palmer was charged with impaired driving, theft from police, two counts of drug possession, possession of stolen property worth more than $5,000, possession of stolen property worth less than $5,000, breaching probation, breaching lease, and driving while prohibited, police said at the time.
The remainder of those charges were dropped after Palmer pleaded guilty only to impaired driving and prohibited driving.
Both lawyers suggested the 101-day sentence, which Poland said was well-targeted to the offending behaviour.
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“It’s probably the right sentence,” he said.
When given a chance to address the court, Palmer said he wanted to get help.
“I wish you luck with it. It’s a hard road. You can do it,” Poland told him.
Palmer had enough pre-sentence custody credit to fully serve his sentence in Sarnia, but he wasn’t going to be released due to outstanding charges in other areas of the region, Rooke said. He appeared in Goderich court Thursday and has a bail hearing set for Friday in London, records show. He also recently served a six-month sentence for convictions, including break and enter, in the Chatham area, Rooke said.
When Palmer is released, he’ll be banned from driving for three years.
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