Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

A prolific offender with a long history of committing property crimes and other offences was handed a stiff sentence on Tuesday in Penticton court.

Jeffery Pelly, who earlier pleaded guilty to theft and drug possession charges, will spend 350 more days behind bars, followed by 18 months probation.

The charges stem from incidents last year including trying to use a stolen credit card and being located in a stolen truck, asleep with meth in his possession.

He is perhaps best known for being released on bail on Dec. 29 and being arrested minutes later for breaking into a van belonging to Penticton Lock & Key.

Pelly's sentencing has been a lengthy process after Judge Gregory Koturbash asked for more information in February on rising crime rates in the area before making a decision, Tuesday,

In light of that request, the court heard from a local crime analyst Monday, who said statistics showed a marked increase in property crime in 2015 and a continuing problem in the first few months of 2016.

Koturbash said playing into this scenario was the fact there were two homicides in Penticton in early 2015 which stretched RCMP resources thin, with members being pulled in for the investigations.

He said as part of the sentencing, a strong message needs to be sent as people in the community feel unsafe.

Other factors taken into consideration were Pelly's criminal record. In 2015 alone, he was convicted of 11 criminal offences, working out to almost one offence per month.

There was also the rapid rate of recidivism, being that in late December only minutes after being released from custody he committed a theft from a motor vehicle in broad daylight.

Another factor was being in possession of meth and behind the wheel of a vehicle, said the judge.

In Pelly's favour he entered guilty pleas at an early stage and has expressed willingness to attend a 12-month treatment program.

It is, however, his addiction to meth that poses a problem for the court, said the judge.

The court cannot ignore the impact of his crimes on the community and he is not entitled to a get-out-jail card simply because he is an addict, he said.

The terms of Pelly's probation include an overnight curfew, getting counselling and not being in possession of any identification documents other than those issued in his name.

The judge's last words to Pelly were he hopes he gets into a treatment facility, that he will be a better dad to his kids and take care of himself.