A Brantford man who was cleaning up by breaking into the laundry rooms of city apartment buildings to steal money from the machines – and wash his clothes – was sent to jail
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Chem J. Hyvarinen, 42, was arrested almost monthly through 2023 and came to court facing 50 charges of theft, break and enter and breach of court orders.
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“It these were residences and not just apartment buildings, I would be asking for a penitentiary term,” said assistant Crown attorney Shilpa Pathak, pointing out Hyvarinen’s long record for similar crimes.
She and defense lawyer Eric Angevine agreed on an 18-month sentence that included the equivalent of six months of time already served.
In court, Hyvarinen pleaded guilty to four counts of theft and two counts of failing to comply with orders.
Pathak noted that Hyvarinen had previously been banned from several of the apartment buildings due to his history of thefts from washers and dryers, and had caused a lot of damage for what was typically a small return of about $100.
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In May 2023, video surveillance at a Colborne Street building Hyvarinen had targeted repeatedly, showed him using a tool to defeat the exterior door lock and entering the laundry room with two women. There, he ripped the coin receiver off two washing machines, used another tool to start them and he and the women washed several bags of clothing with soap taken from a cupboard.
At one apartment on St. Paul Avenue, he prayed open the front door of the building and, in the laundry room, used a tool to drill the machines, stealing up to several thousand dollars.
“He’s served significant periods in custody and still hasn’t learned,” said Pathak.
She noted that social service workers were diligent in setting up a diversion program for Hyvarinen that would have placed him in a residential treatment program to detoxify from his drug habit but, at the last moment, he opted not to go as he felt he couldn’t t leave his long-time partner.
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Defense attorney Eric Angevine said Hyvarinen had a good work history until he was injured on a local construction project and “things spiraled” out of control.
“He’s done time before,” Angevine told the judge, “but he says the conditions this time have been considerably more difficult. He told me ‘If you want to eat your own dinner, you better be ready to throw a punch’.”
Justice Anthony Leitch agreed with the lawyers on the 18-month sentence and added a two-year probation with more specific orders that Hyvarinen must stay at least 10 meters away from apartment buildings on Colborne Street, St. Paul Avenue and Cumberland Street.
“I’m always saddened when someone has put together a plan to deal with their drug issues, was going to do diversion and this happens,” said Leitch.
“You’re going to do 12 months and will probably get clean. Use that as a starting point because, you’re no doubt breaking into places to fund your habit, but you’ve got to take the steps this time.”
@EXPSGamble
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