poquas poquas:
Choban Choban:
poquas poquas:
I certainly can sympathize for the reasons, but, it's still theft. An absolute discharge is as irresponsible on the judges part as a jail sentence would have been.
I agree it's still theft, but what would you have done. Given this man probation and a criminal record? I think the judge used remarkable good sence and saved a good person from a tarnished image.
If my family was starving and I had no other options I would have done the same.
A conditional discharge and cleaning the street for a couple of days would have been appropriate. I certainly would have tried a local food bank before stealing something. It's not that there were no other options, it was just a bad decision.
Any sentence involving community service would have led to a criminal record, this is a man that worked in Alberta and when things went bust moved back to NL and can't for whatever reason provide.
I agree it was a bad decision, there are food banks, social services and welfare but consider that perhaps this mans bad decision originated from his pride? Perhaps he wouldn't feel like a man being unable to provide for his family, perhaps he's been raised in a sence to be too proud to accept or look for outside help (there are alot of guys like this) or to ask for help from his family/friends. Perhaps he already feels like a failure at this point and figured that if he got away with it his wife and kids and otheres wouldn't have to know how the got this formula.
I can tell you that I for one have had to use the food bank, it's not a great feeling to rely on the handouts of others, especially when you are willing and used to providing on your own, or already working your ass off and unable to make ends meet.
The article didn't state he was unemployed either, perhaps he is working at some menial dead end 9-5 and still unable to pay all the bills and put food on the table, how would a criminal record affect his current job if he has one?