Photo: CrimeStoppers

Dayton McAlpine

A long-time prolific offender is back behind bars, despite telling a judge he was ready to turn his life around during his last sentencing appearance in October.

Dayton McAlpine, 37, was wanted on a province-wide warrant earlier this year for allegedly breaching his probation conditions and he was placed on the Central Okanangan Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted list.

But McAlpine was found and arrested this past week in Midway and he picked up a handful of new charges in the process.

He's now facing three new firearms charges, along with charges of resisting arrest and breaching probation twice.

The charges come five months after McAlpine was in a Kelowna court telling a judge that he was “trying to turn [his] life around.”

"I am looking to rehabilitate myself,” McAlpine said during his most recent sentencing hearing in October. "I don’t like these labels I've been labelled with. I am trying to do better with my life.”

McAlpine pleaded guilty to driving while prohibited, being in possession of a prohibited weapon and breaching conditions of a previous release from custody, and was handed a two-year sentence. But with credit for time served, he was only left with 22 days in jail followed by an 18-month probation period.

In delivering her sentence, Judge Monica McParland said “despite a long history and long record, I never give up on people and the purposes and principles of rehabilitation.”

“Next time, if there’s a next time, a judge may give up on rehabilitation,” she said. “I am giving you a bit of a break, Mr. McAlpine, don’t waste it.”

McAlpine is alleged to have first breached his probation on Jan. 21 in Kelowna, which led to him becoming wanted by police on Feb. 4. It's not clear what he's alleged to have done to breach his probation conditions.

McAlpine remained on the lam for more than a month, until he was picked up by police this past Wednesday.

He remains in jail, with his next court appearance scheduled for later this month.

McAlpine is no stranger to criminal justice system, having racked up 59 convictions since 2005.