A Surrey man charged in connection to a string of mail thefts from last year received his sentence in a Kelowna courtroom Wednesday morning.
44-year-old Julian Hoekstra had previously pleaded guilty to charges of mail theft, possession of stolen property, and use of a stolen credit card.
Prior to sentencing, Hoekstra’s attorney outlined his client’s difficult past, which included abuse from his adoptive mother, the loss of his wife in 1997, and a mix of depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, all of which led Hoekstra to a life of crime and drug addiction.
Hoekstra’s attorney also noted that his client wanted more than anything to once again become a productive member of society after his release.
The judge handed Hoekstra a sentence of 360 days imprisonment, minus 155 days for time served. After his release, Hoekstra will be on probation with a strict set of conditions for one year.
Hoekstra was arrested alongside co-accused Kristina Anderson late last year after RCMP found an assortment of stolen mail and other stolen items. The two were wanted on several outstanding warrants at the time.
Hoekstra received a slightly harsher sentence than Anderson, who was sentenced to 10 months. This is because Hoekstra was in breach of probation at the time of his arrest.