KELOWNA – A sentencing hearing started Monday at the Kelowna Law Courts for a career criminal who Crown Counsel wants declared a dangerous offender.
In July 2012, Michael Edward Ellis lead police on a high-speed chase along Westside Road between West Kelowna and Vernon.
Numerous gun shots were fired at RCMP officers and civilian witnesses.
Ellis and his crime partner also hi-jacked two vehicles in their desperate get-away attempt.
The two men were arrested after a police spike belt ended the nearly 80 kilometer pursuit.
Ellis was later found not guilty of attempted murder but was convicted of 17 other offenses including robbery and dangerous driving.
Ellis’s has a criminal record of almost 60 convictions which is a key factor in efforts to have him declared a dangerous offender and sent to prison indefinitely.
The Crown’s first three witnesses were parole officers who dealt with Ellis in the late 1990’s when the drug addicted, high school dropout was serving about three years for four bank robberies.
One said Ellis had no remorse for his crimes or concern for his victims.
Another testified he had difficulty following prison rules and regulations.
The third said Ellis appeared comfortable in the criminal milieu.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled to last three weeks.
The prosecutor will call 11 witnesses to try to convince the judge Ellis is so dangerous he should be locked up with no release date.
The other man charged in the high-speed pursuit earlier pleaded guilty to armed robbery.
Shawn Wysynski was handed a nine year prison sentence.
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