Parole violator led police on dangerous chase
More prison time for Devon Mark Hill Hood, 26, of Fredericton, for escaping from cops
A Fredericton man is headed back to prison for parole violation, and his sentence is being lengthened for new offences, including a successful and dangerous flight from police.
Devon Mark Hill Hood, 26, of Veterans Drive, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by telephone from the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre on Wednesday.
He faced June 15 charges of flight from police and dangerous driving, as well as a June 21 count of being unlawfully at large while serving a sentence.
Hood elected to be tried in provincial court on the indictable flight charge, and pleaded guilty to that count as well as to the charge of being unlawfully at large.
Crown prosecutor Rodney Jordan said city police were on the lookout for Hood after being advised a Canada-wide warrant had been issued for his arrest for violating the terms of his parole.
An officer spotted Hood just before midnight June 15 headed toward a GMC Sierra carrying what appeared to be a soft rifle case, the prosecutor said.
Police followed Hood at the wheel of the truck, court heard.
“A plan was set for members to attempt a traffic stop,” Jordan said, noting a spike strip was also at the ready.
Officers moved to make the traffic stop in the area of Brookside Drive, he said, and Hood stopped the truck for three seconds. But upon seeing officers at the tire-deflation device, the prosecutor said, Hood put the Sierra in reverse.
An officer managed to fling the spike strip toward the truck, he said, and succeeded in flattening the tires. Nevertheless, Jordan said, Hood managed to flee the scene.
“Eventually, they lost the vehicle,” the prosecutor said.
Fredericton police learned days later, June 21, that the RCMP had Hood in custody, court heard, having arrested him on the Canada-wide warrant.
Jordan said Correctional Service Canada officials had discovered Hood was using drugs again, amounting to a parole violation.
It was rescinded, Jordan said, meaning Hood was unlawfully at large from his prison sentence at the time of his interactions with police two months ago.
He said while there was little traffic in the area the night of June 15, Hood’s conduct was incredibly dangerous and it merited a sentence to reflect it.
The prosecutor asked the court to impose sentences of five months for the flight and one month for being unlawfully at large, to be consecutively to his prison sentence.
“He failed a drug test, and that’s what started this all in motion,” said defence lawyer Ron Morris.
Hood has been remanded at the Saint John jail since his arrest, the defence lawyer said, but he’ll be returned to a federal penitentiary soon to resume his prison term.
“He will be doing more time than six months,” Morris said, noting the defence agreed with the Crown’s recommended sentence.
“Hopefully, I’ll be out by next September,” Hood told the court. “Hopefully, I can just stay clean when I get out.”
His plan is to enrol in a course on auto-body repair and land a job in that field, he said.
Judge Anne Dugas-Horsman said even though it was quiet along the city street when Hood led police on a dangerous chase, he was still putting the officers in peril.
She also noted that he had a significant criminal history for such a young man.
Still, the judge said, she was compelled to accept the joint recommendation from the Crown and defence, given it was within the established range of sentences in the circumstances.
Jordan withdrew the dangerous-driving charge.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.