A man who robbed a Kelowna pawn shop and then shot at police has pleaded guilty.
In December 2011, a man with a handgun robbed Premier Jewelry and Loans. The suspect fled the scene as RCMP arrived and fired at least two shots as police gave chase.
The man then hi-jacked a car, forcing the driver to take him to West Kelowna, and escaped.
Devan Markcus Wong, 21, of Surrey voluntarily surrendered to Kelowna RCMP in February 2012; he entered guilty pleas in Kelowna court on Monday.
Wong pleaded guilty to kidnapping, robbery with a gun, and firing at police officers.
Get breaking National news
The Crown is seeking eight to 11 years behind bars while the defense is asking for seven to eight years.
Wong, who has two prior robbery convictions, will be sentenced in May.
Martin Strasser, the owner of Premier Jewelry and Loans, says the incident has changed him and the way he does business.
“To be honest, every time our door buzzer goes off, I still get a little bit nervous,” he said. “There’s always that little bit of anxiety right around dusk, which is when the incident happened.”
- ‘Everybody’s gone’: Canadians mark Remembrance Day as number of veterans dwindle
- Ottawa seeks new parliamentary budget officer with ‘tact and discretion’
- Canadians feel ‘cautious’ about spending as holidays near, Bank of Canada says
- Invest or keep money in cash? 41% of young Canadians opt for latter in TFSA
“It never goes away. It’s always going to be a part of you but you can’t let it rule your life either,” Strasser.
Wong’s lawyer Grant Gray says his client wants to come clean.
“He’s quite remorseful,” Gray said. “He’s been in jail for in excess of a year. He’s had a lot of time to reflect on his actions and the wrongfulness of them. That’s part of why he’s pleaded guilty.”
More than a year later, store employee Mary Ann Heise is still dealing with the trauma. She managed to remain calm while having a loaded gun pointed at her during the robbery an over time, she has learned to make peace with her attacker.
“It’s not something in life, holding a grudge against him, because it brings me down. So yes, I do forgive him.”
Comments