Bail denied for man facing multiple charges

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This article was published 25/07/2023 (1156 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man who has racked up numerous allegations of stealing property from Brandonites this year will be staying behind bars.

It was the second time this month that Vincent Mitchell applied for bail. After he was granted release on July 15, he was brought back into custody after allegedly breaching his release conditions on Sunday. But this time around, a judge decided to deny Mitchell’s release.

Mitchell is facing numerous theft and fraudulent use of credit card charges from June to earlier this month. The charges against Mitchell have not been proven in court and he remains innocent until proven guilty.

Crown attorney Reid Girard read the evidence for the charges in court on Monday.

On June 20, around 11 p.m. police were patrolling in the 700 block of 10th Street in Brandon, where they saw a man standing outside the 7-Eleven. Police reported they knew the man due to prior interactions. Police also reported the man was wearing a brand-new Columbia hat with the tags still attached to it.

Police then handcuffed the man to detain him for a theft investigation. When the man was placed in the handcuffs, police noticed that he was wearing a green cloth grocery bag with a large handle sticking out it. The handle turned out to be a large homemade sword. The man was charged for possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Then on July 5, a woman reported to police that her debit card and a Cabela’s knife had been stolen from her unlocked car. Her debit card had been used six times, racking up a total of $89 in purchases.

Police used video surveillance from the purchase locations to identify the man. When he was arrested, the man admitted to making the purchases, though he said he had gotten the card from a friend.

A few days later, on July 8, police were notified that a man had stolen nearly $300 worth of items from Mark’s on 18th Street North a day earlier. Video surveillance was again used to identify the man.

On July 12, another Brandonite reported a theft from a truck that was parked outside of his home. The victim told police that someone had gotten into his truck, stole his wallet and his girlfriend’s CIBC card. The woman said that seven purchases had been made using her card before she was able to lock it.

Again, video surveillance from the purchase locations was used to identify the man. When police located and arrested the man, they apparently found cards belonging to the victims on him. The cards were seized and returned to their owners.

Only three days later, police conducted a pedestrian stop with the man, whom they recognized. They saw him wearing a backpack that still had security tags on it. Police questioned the man, who apparently admitted to stealing the bag from Spencer’s in Shoppers Mall.

The theft of the backpack, which was worth $59, was verified by security footage from the store.

Judge Patrick Sullivan granted the man bail, on conditions to live with his brother in Douglas and to not be in Brandon.

However, on Sunday, Brandon police saw the man riding a bike in town. Apparently knowing he was on the specific condition to not be in the Wheat City, police conducted a pedestrian stop and charged him for breaching his release order. The bike was also reportedly stolen and so, the man was also charged with possession of property obtained by crime.

The Crown opposed Mitchell’s release on concerns that he would re-offend. Girard cited Mitchell’s criminal record, which is mostly comprised of theft under $5,000 convictions, and the theft allegations that the 25-year-old has racked up in a short period of time.

“The Crown believes that if he is released, he just will not follow the release order Your Honour places him on and he will continue to engage in this behaviour, victimizing whatever community he is placed in with his constant thefts,” the prosecutor said.

Mitchell’s lawyer, Anthony Dawson, told the court that his client denies several of the charges. Dawson also raised the potential for a charter challenge to the grounds police used to stop Mitchell, especially the June incident outside the 7-Eleven.

“He seems to have initially been detained on some rather dubious grounds for an apparent theft investigation that really doesn’t go any further than he has a new cap on, and he’s known to police and he’s known to steal things,” Dawson said. “So, we certainly have some concerns.”

The defence lawyer said that Mitchell wants to go to college for welding and has been trying to get in touch with Life’s Journey to get a mental health diagnosis.

Dawson told the court that Mitchell said he was in Brandon, contrary to his court order, earlier this week because he was attempting to get to the hospital.

Dawson presented a similar bail plan to the previous one earlier this month, which would have Mitchell living at a home in Douglas and a condition to not come to Brandon other than for court and meetings with his lawyer.

However, Judge John Combs did not find Mitchell’s health-related reason for breaching his release order convincing. He cited Mitchell’s history of theft under $5,000 convictions and the six different incidents involving stolen property for which is facing allegations.

Though the judge said that it is rare that a court detain someone for minor property offences, ultimately, he denied Mitchell bail.

“Many people in this community are experiencing trauma and suffering as a result of their items being stolen, their vehicles being gone through, their credit cards being used,” Combs said. “And that’s not acceptable.”

Mitchell’s matter will next appear before the court on Aug. 10.

» gmortfield@brandonsun.com

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