By Cam Fortems
Kamloops This Week
A 63-year-old man from Salmon Arm has escaped a prison sentence for trafficking crystal meth after a joint submission was accepted by a B.C. Supreme Court justice.
David May pleaded guilty this week to a single count of trafficking out of his home in Salmon Arm.
Crown prosecutor Anthony Varesi said RCMP armed with a search warrant broke down May’s door and entered his home to find him passed out in bed. In his closet was about $400 worth of crystal meth, along with score sheets and drug paraphernalia.
“This is not a dial-a-dope operation,” Varesi said. “But, it did involve sale of drugs from a residence.”
Varesi and defence lawyer Jeremy Jensen together asked for a suspended sentence followed by 18 months of probation. Nine months of that probation will see May under a daily curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Jensen said May has struggled on and off during his life with addiction.
He suffered a traumatic brain injury two decades ago that left him cognitively impaired.
“It only exacerbated issues in Mr. May’s life,” Jensen said, noting prior to the offence, May fell in with “the wrong crowd” after being clean and sober for a year-and-a-half.
“Given his age and his traumatic injury, he’s somewhat susceptible to peer pressure,” Jensen said.
Justice Murray Blok agreed with the joint submission on the suspended sentence. May is also under a drug and alcohol prohibition during the 18 months.