Killer won’t serve extra time for hooch heist
Joe-Anna Hachey, 30, of Fredericton, stole liquor from a Hanwell agency store last fall, and a judge ordered her to pay restitution when she’s sprung from prison
A Fredericton woman serving prison time for manslaughter after a recent violation of the conditions of her statutory release won’t see her stay behind bars extended for a shoplifting incident last fall.
Joe-Anna Hachey, 30, formerly of Boyne Crescent, pleaded guilty earlier this month to an Oct. 27 count of theft, and she appeared in Fredericton provincial court Friday by video-conference from the Nova Institution in Truro, N.S., for her sentencing hearing.
Hachey had been sentenced to seven years in prison in 2018 for manslaughter, stemming from the Jan. 26, 2017, shooting death of Robert John Smith, AKA Bobby Martin Jr.
She had been free in the community on conditions last year after reaching her statutory release day in April 2022, despite violating her day parole twice previously.
However, she was returned to the Nova Scotia women’s prison following her most recent arrest Jan. 30.
Court heard Friday that Hachey stole liquor from the Cross Roads Irving, which is also an NB Liquor agency store located in Hanwell, on Oct. 27.
Despite the fact that the offender is once again serving her prison term for Smith’s killing, Crown prosecutor Darlene Blunston asked the court to impose a term of incarceration to be served consecutively to her manslaughter sentence.
However, defence lawyer Edward Derrah urged the court to impose a concurrent term, given that Hachey is already serving a penalty for her conduct last fall due to the revocation of her statutory release.
Judge Mary Jane Richards granted the defence request, sentencing Hachey to 45 days’ incarceration, but to run concurrently to her prison term.
However, the judge also placed Hachey on probation for a year following her next release, and during that time, the offender is to stay off the premises of the Cross Roads Irving and pay $46.99 in restitution for the stolen booze.
“I think you should be able to pay that once you get out,” Richards said.
Correctional Service Canada has already determined when Hachey will be released next.
Despite violating the conditions of her statutory release last year by way of continued drug use and other breaches, Hachey will once again be granted statutory release Aug. 23, according to the Parole Board of Canada.
Hachey and Evan James Polchies, 36, of Bilijk (Kingsclear) First Nation, were both charged with second-degree murder a few days after Smith’s death.
They both eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter in separate court proceedings. While Hachey was sentenced to seven years, Polchies was sentenced to 12½ years in prison.
Court heard during their sentencing hearings that Hachey lured Smith to a Lincoln mini-home on the morning in question, telling him she wanted to buy drugs.
In reality, she and Polchies had hatched a plan to rob the drug dealer.
Polchies, armed with a rifle, shot Smith in the groin when he walked in the door of the mobile home, and while Smith was able to flee the scene in his car with his girlfriend at the wheel, he died in hospital later that day, as the bullet severed an artery.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.
What a joke ,take the money from her jail account