CANMORE – A former Canmore resident was sentenced to 60 days in jail after pleading guilty to breaking into his neighbour’s home to steal alcohol.
Dustin Zackowski entered guilty pleas in Canmore Provincial Court last week to charges of unlawfully being in a dwelling, breach of probation and failing to give a breath sample.
Crown prosecutor Dane Rolfe told Judge Les Grieve that on March 14 this year, RCMP were called to a break and enter in progress at a Silvertip home and responded.
The owner of the home heard glass break in their basement and when they went to see what was the cause, discovered an unknown man in their home.
Both the man – later identified as Zackowski – and the homeowner fled and when police arrived on scene they found four bottles of wine had been taken from a fridge in the basement. Two were found inside and two were found outside on the ground.
Rolfe said RCMP brought in a search dog and that led them to the house next door, where they discovered discarded clothes and shoes under a deck and Zackowski unconscious and under the influence of alcohol inside, shoeless and shirtless on the couch.
The Crown said the accused matched the description and was arrested, adding at the time he was on a probation order to not consume alcohol.
It wasn’t the first time the RCMP had caught him breaching that condition and in addition to pleading guilty to having used a brick to break a window and gain access to his neighbour’s home, he also took responsibility for an incident of impaired driving on July 24, 2018.
In a victim impact statement, the neighbour told the court how finding a stranger in their home has affected their life.
“I feared for my life,” they said. “I ran as fast as I could from my home with no shoes, no coat … to call 911.
“This violent invasion of my personal space has left me feeling violated.”
In addition to the jail sentence, Zackowski was ordered to pay restitution for the broken window.
Grieve asked the accused if he had anything to say to the court in regard to those affected by his actions, but the 29 year old declined. Pushed further by the judge, he reluctantly said he was sorry.
“What you did deserves three to four years in federal prison, but nobody here today wants to see you in jail,” Grieve said. “I have to take into account if you have remorse. Why would I go along with this (sentence) if you’re not the least bit sorry?”
Zackowski had already served 30 days pre-trial custody, meaning he would only have to serve the remaining 30 days of his sentence. He also must complete a 12-month probation sentence.
