MOOSE JAW — Being a seasonal summer worker without a steady income during the winter forced Luke Joseph Donauer to steal from several businesses, which eventually landed him in jail and then in court.
Donauer, 26, appeared in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on April 28, where he pleaded guilty to 11 charges that included thefts, mischief and breaches.
As part of a joint submission, he was given 30 days in jail, but because he had spent 24 days on remand, the court credited him with 36 days served, so he will not spend any more time behind bars.
However, he will be on probation for the next 12 months and must follow several conditions, including seeing a psychiatrist or doctor, following treatment recommendations and not going near the businesses that he robbed.
Donauer’s first offence occurred on Feb. 19 around 2:20 a.m. when, clad only in socks, underwear and Crocs footwear, he destroyed the front doors and windows at Safeway and caused $5,000 in damages, Crown prosecutor Monique Paquin said.
A month later, on March 22 around 2:30 p.m., police were called to the Co-op gas bar after Donauer drove away after failing to pay for $95 worth of fuel, she continued. Officers identified him using security footage.
That same day, around 3 p.m., police went to the Fat Panda Smoke Shop at the Civic Centre Mall because of a theft, the Crown prosecutor said. Donauer had entered the store, taken $150 worth of products and left without paying.
Three days later, on March 25 at 8 a.m., Donauer entered the Circle K convenience store on Main Street North and asked for cigarettes and a lighter, she continued. After an employee scanned the items, he said he didn’t have the required $24 and left without paying.
After being arrested that day, the court put the 26-year-old on an undertaking not to go near the Co-op grocery store, but visited the business on March 27 around 7:40 a.m., Paquin said. The man grabbed a drink and asked for cigarettes, but told staff he could not pay the $27 and ran out.
The court had also put Donauer on an undertaking to not visit Fat Panda, but on March 28, he returned and went behind the counter to grab products, the Crown prosecutor continued.
However, staff took away the items, while police arrested him, but not before he said would return — which he did on April 5 and was arrested again.
Meanwhile, on April 1, Donauer visited The Mad Greek restaurant and ordered several drinks and food items, and after telling the server that he had received the wrong food, he consumed another drink and left without paying the $75 tab, Paquin added.
After putting forward the joint submission, Paquin told Judge Brian Hendrickson, “… it’s concerning that some of these incidents happened at the same business over and over again despite Mr. Donauer being on conditions to not attend at those places, which is why counsel are suggesting a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
The Crown prosecutor added that Donauer should seek psychological help because of “some unusual behaviour” he exhibited after breaking into the Safeway in his underwear.
Legal Aid lawyer Suzanne Lalonde acknowledged that Donauer had two previous convictions, while she noted that her client may have a mental illness and is open to exploring treatment.
Meanwhile, Lalonde said Donauer is a seasonal worker who lacked regular income, which factored into these offences. While he moved here several years ago, he plans to live with family in either Regina or Saskatoon.
Asked for comment, Donauer said, “I do apologize. I am sorry. I feel like I’ve learned my lesson.”
Judge Hendrickson accepted the joint submission and noted that the Crown was being “very fair” to Donauer, while he agreed to waive the victim fund surcharge.
