David Higgins, who was one of three men who led 100 Mile House RCMP, a tracking dog and helicopter pilot on an extended chase through the bush on June 13 and was caught the following morning in 100 Mile, entered eight guilty pleas in a Williams Lake courtroom on Dec. 12.
There were stays of proceedings on several charges, but he will be spending time in jail.
Higgins' sentences included 365 days for knowingly possessing a firearm without a licence, with 10-years firearm prohibition; 90 days each for two counts of breaching a probation order; 92 days for being in possession for the purpose of trafficking; 120 days for wilfully resisting a peace officer; 365 days for unauthorized possession of a firearm; and 180 days each for being in possession of stolen property.
On top of these sentences, Higgins will have to pay a $200 victim surcharge on each account by May 12, 2017.
The other members of the trio – Derick Brown, 27, and Darwyn Sellars, 25, – have opted to go to trial and will be back in court in September 2015 for jury selection. They are facing similar charges.
Around 11 a.m. on June 13, 100 Mile House RCMP received information from Kamloops RCMP regarding a stolen vehicle that may be headed north to their area.
Later, they learned the stolen vehicle had been linked to a theft at the Clinton liquor store.
The suspect vehicle was located parked in the driveway of residence on Elefson Road, just south of Highway 24.
A search was initiated by a police dog handler out of Williams Lake, but it was called off when the tracks were lost after they led back to Highway 97. A police helicopter was also brought in for aerial surveillance, but the suspects were not spotted.
The next morning, police recognized the suspects from a description of their clothing caught on the Clinton liquor store's cameras, and two of them fled into the bush.
Officers arrested Brown behind the Greyhound bus depot in 100 Mile House. He had two sawed-off weapons and ammunition in his possession.
Higgins and Sellars were taken into custody without incident at the ball diamonds during a slo-pitch tourney in 100 Mile House.
When the stolen vehicle was searched, a homemade improvised explosive device was discovered. The explosive disposal unit from Vancouver was flown in and the device was safely detonated around 7 p.m. that day.