Prison sentence for burglar from group that broke into Kamloops mausoleum – Kamloops News

A burglar who was part of a group of robbers who broke into a mausoleum at a Kamloops cemetery on Notre Dame Drive has been sentenced to 45 days in jail.

Donovan Blaine Roberts, 26, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Kamloops provincial court to one count of breaking and entering to commit an indictable offence.

The court heard that on July 13, 2023, police were called to the mausoleum at Hillside Cemetery following a report of a burglary.

Crown prosecutor Anthony Varesi said the Mountie arrived to find a group of people inside the building, which appeared to be left unlocked.

“He noticed that some gold crosses had been torn off the wall and that there was other minor damage,” he said.

Roberts was among those arrested. Varesi said police found a clock and a glass ornament underneath him during his arrest.

Defense attorney Joe Killoran said Roberts struggles with addiction and is currently clean. He is in prison, serving an unrelated sentence for a crime in Prince George, his hometown.

“He’s sorry, he doesn’t want to live that lifestyle,” Killoran said.

“He still has time to change it and I hope he will succeed.”

Kamloops Provincial Court Judge Roy Dickey agreed to a joint motion for 45 days in jail. After crediting time served, Roberts will have 15 days left.

The clock will not start ticking on those 15 days until his current sentence is completed.

Two of Roberts’ co-defendants have already been sentenced. Justin Gier Bruce Moller was sentenced to almost a year in prison last year and Richard Kile Shaeffer was sentenced to almost 18 months behind bars for a string of offenses including breaking into a mausoleum.