The latest example of the ‘revolving door of justice’ in British Columbia sees a prolific offender, with a long criminal history released on bail.
Dawson Creek RCMP say that Joe Wason is well-known vehicle thief, who also has a long record of driving while prohibited.
On December 8th, Mounties say a Ford Edge broke down in the Northern Lights College parking lot. The driver waved down two people in a blue pickup and asked for help starting the vehicle, leaving the owner stranded.
One of the individuals got out of the truck and got behind the wheel of the broken-down Ford. When the car was started, police allege the man sped away in the stolen vehicle.
Mounties later spotted the two vehicles. Investigators say the person behind the wheel of the pickup saw police and quickly moved to the passenger seat.
Wason was charged with driving while prohibited, theft over $5000, theft of vehicle and failure to comply a probation order.
Despite having a number of prior convictions for theft and breaching a release order, Provincial Court Judge Nina Purewal released Wason on bail.
Wason has a long history of theft and breaching release orders. In 2024, he was sent to jail for 279 days for breaching a release order. He was also prohibited from driving for 3 years.
In 2023, he was sentenced to jail for 540 days after being found guilty of breaking and entering a business. Earlier that same year, Wason served 180 days for stealing a motorcycle.
In November of 2022, he was found guilty of possessing stolen property under $5000.
Wason has also been found guilty a number of times for driving while prohibited. In 2020, he was found guilty of driving while disqualified. Two years before that, he was charged with driving while suspended.
Wason’s next scheduled court appearance is on December 23.
-M. Popove
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