Kelowna, B.C. Royal Bank robber receives four-year sentence for 2020 incident

A Kelowna, B.C., bank robber who made off with more than $42,000 during a 2020 heist has been sentenced to four years behind bars.

Alan Stuart Metcalfe, 26,  entered the Royal Bank on Pandosy Street on July, 31 2020, and pointed a handgun at employees, saying, “This is not a drill,” according to a BC Supreme Court decision posted online Thursday.

Wearing a mask, sunglasses and a hoodie, Metcalfe then stretched out his arm and told the employees he did not want to hurt them but just wanted the money.

“At the time of the robbery, there were 13 other people in the bank, eight employees and five customers. He directed employees to the safe and a drawer was opened, the first one containing coins and the second with cash,” Justice Steven Wilson said in the decision.

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After around three minutes,  Metcalfe fled with the police sirens sounding. In hand, he had a bag that contained $42,980 Canadian and $603 USD.

“He fled on foot, running through various properties, discarding cap, pants, gloves and ultimately the cash, which was returned to the bank,” Wilson said.

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RCMP ultimately caught up to Metcalfe and seized a bag that was in his possession. The bag had cash, a hoodie and a mask. A subsequent DNA match also confirmed that  Metcalfe was the suspect.

Metcalfe, who has since enrolled in school and is working toward being a plumber, pleaded guilty to the charge and saved the court the time that would have been needed for a trial.

While that is a factor working in his favour, Wilson pointed out, he also had a criminal record with similar offences listed and the robbery was planned and deliberate.

In the end, however, Wilson saw cause for optimism, and sentenced him to four years, as recommended in a joint submission from Crown counsel and the defence lawyer.

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“We have a man with family support who is still young enough to turn his life around. It appears, from what I have been provided and what I have heard, that he has made a good start to that with lots of progress. The fact that he has an employer who was willing to rehire him on a couple of occasions is a good sign,” Wilson said.

“Metcalfe tells me that he is not the same person who committed this offence on July 31, 2020. I hope that is true; obviously, that is a question that ultimately is only answered over time.”

However, Wilson said, the steps taken to date provide good reason for optimism, saying he chose to  “hope and believe that there is a very good chance that this will be the last time the courts need to see Mr. Metcalfe.”