Jail time for witness threats

Photo: RCMP - 2014 file photo

An alleged bank robber will spend eight months in jail after he was convicted of intimidating a witness.

Tayler Verhaegen, 25, was charged with one count of robbery and one count of disguising his face with intent to commit an offence after allegedly robbing a Bank of Montreal in 2014.

Police said at the time they believed Verhaegen robbed the BMO in the Capri Shopping Mall, armed with a knife, at about 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 23, 2014.

RCMP allege Verhaegen entered the bank and secured the doors with a plastic tie, before jumping over the counter and confronting staff.

They say he then used the knife to cut the tie as he made his escape on foot.

Verhaergen still awaits his robbery trial, but he will now await that trial in jail.

He was convicted by Kelowna provincial court Judge Ellen Burdett earlier this year of attempting to pervert, defeat and/or obstruct justice and faced sentencing Wednesday.

Burdett said in court that Verhaergen was phoning and text messaging a former co-worker who was set to testify against him at his bank robbery trial preliminary hearing.

During sentencing submissions Wednesday morning, Crown counsel Mallory Treddenick submitted that Verhaergen should serve one year, while defense lawyer Michael Stephenson was asking for a non-custodial conditional sentence order.

In recounting her conviction report, Burdett noted that Verhaegen scared the witness using phrases like "police seem to think you're a rat," "thanks for throwing me under the bus" and "you will end up seeing me sooner or later”. She also said he used a cell phone app to hide his identity while contacting the witness.

Burdett noted that she was concerned Verhaergen did not believe he was guilty, nor did he have any remorse. He told the court he would appeal her decision, as he believed there had a failure of the justice system against him.

While the court was told Verhaergen had a rough childhood, supporting himself at 16 years old, a pre-sentence report done by a probation officer showed he had overcome much of it.

He graduated high school, went to college and currently runs a successful online tenancy-dispute business that provides him a “sizeable income” according to Burdett.

He told Burdett he hopes to go on to law school and become a lawyer after the court process is complete.

During his court appearance today, Verhaergen sat quietly in very loud sport jacket reminiscent of an old video-test pattern.

When asked why he wore such a bright jacket, he told Burdett he hoped it would raise his spirits on a hard day.

"This is a serious offence against the community at large and needs to be treated as such in sentencing," said Burdett.

She sentenced Verhaergen to nine months in prison, or 270 days plus one-year probation.

With credit for time served of 31 days, Verhaergen will spend just under eight months in prison.

Verhaergen’s robbery trial is scheduled for 2017.