A Calgary woman will serve a five-month jail sentence on weekends for trying to carjack another woman in the Okotoks Home Depot parking lot in late March.
Pamela Joy Scout, 37 of Calgary, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery in Okotoks court last week. She also pleaded guilty to obstructing police and possession of stolen property.
Scout appeared by CCTV from the Calgary Remand Centre, where she has been since her arrest March 26.
Crown prosecutor Vincenzo Pingitori said Scout approached a woman in the Home Depot parking lot and told her she was going to steal her car multiple times. The victim refused to hand over her keys and Scout pushed her into the vehicle, breaking the side mirror. Scout then tried to grab the victim’s lanyard with her keys from her pocket.
When the victim said she was going to call the police, Scout and another woman fled.
“She was visibly shaken and upset,” Pingitori said of the victim.
The victim was not in court and did not submit a victim impact statement.
Police found Scout and another woman at the nearby Sport Check parking lot. Scout lied to police about her name and date of birth. They also found stolen items from the Okotoks Costco, worth about $400 in her bag.
Scout’s lawyer Shamsher Kothari said his client was intoxicated that day and has plans to deal with substance abuse problems when she is released. Kothari said his client has four children and missed the high school graduation of one of her children while in remand on these charges.
“That was one of the major things she wanted to attend,” he said.
Both lawyers asked for a five-month sentence for Scout. Court heard she has a criminal record for property crime, but this was the first time it included violence.
Judge Pat McIlhargey agreed with the recommendation and sentenced Scout to five months in jail. She was given credit for 63 days in jail, enhanced credit of 1.5 days in jail for every day spent in jail.
Scout will serve the remaining 83 days of her sentence on weekends.
She was also sentenced to 18 months probation with the condition that she attend alcohol and substance abuse counseling as recommended by her probation officer and was banned from consuming drugs and alcohol.
She was also ordered to complete 20 hours of community service and is banned from owning or possessing a weapon for 10 years.
Scout said she was willing to pay for damage to the victim’s car, but no restitution order was filed with the court.
McIlhargey said she could pay up to $200 in restitution if her probation officer received a request for payment.
