Bear spray means jail time for man connected to weed store break-in

Andrew Chiblow was behind the wheel of a vehicle city police suspected was connected to an April 13, 2021 burglary at a Second Line West cannabis business.

Officers responded to a call about the break-in at 3:20 a.m. and found the store's front door smashed out, a judge heard last week.

They viewed a video, which showed two males damaging the door, going inside, removing items from the shelves and then leaving, prosecutor David Didiodato said.

The duo was wearing distinctive clothing, and the camera captured shots of the vehicle, he told Ontario Court Justice Dana Peterson.

When officers later stopped the vehicle, they found two of the men inside matched the description of the intruders, and that they had cannabis products.

Chiblow was driving the vehicle, and a canister of bear spray was located on the floor behind his seat.

He was charged with with a number of offences, including break and enter, along with the other individuals.

On Friday, the 44-year-old pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon (the spray) in connection with the incident.

"There were triable issues," Didiodato told the court.

Chiblow wasn't seen at the store in the video and police had located the vehicle hours later.

"This is the middle ground we have here," the assistant Crown attorney said, indicating two others involved in the incident had resolved their matters and were incarcerated.

The accused also was convicted of breaching a court order and violating his probation on Oct. 22 of last year.

Chiblow has a criminal record, but there are substantial gaps in it, Didiodato said.

The Crown and defence lawyer Sarah Tucci jointly recommended a 60-day jail term, followed by probation.

Chiblow is taking responsibility for his actions and the items in his vehicle, she said. 

Her client has struggled with addiction issues for a number of years, and managed to get clean for 18 months in 2021 and 2022, Tucci told the court.

"'He's now been clean since Christmas," the defence said, adding he also struggles with mental health issues.

"Given the incident and circumstances that night we came to this resolution."

Chiblow told the court he had moved away from the Sault, but when he returned he had started to get in trouble again.

When she imposed the sentence, Peterson noted the triable issues had resulted in this compromise.

Once he completes his jail time, Chiblow will be on probation for two years with conditions that include counselling for substance abuse and mental health issues.

He can have no contact with three other individuals involved in the incident and must stay away from the cannabis store.

At the request of the Crown, other charges he faced were withdrawn.