ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A 42-year-old St. John’s man was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Monday for a handful of crimes, including a takeout restaurant robbery that saw him make off with a bucket of tip money.
On the afternoon of Dec. 13, Jason Quilty entered the restaurant in the centre of St. John's and demanded cash. The server gave him his bucket of tips, and Quilty fled. The employee recognized Quilty from the neighbourhood and gave police his name. Surveillance video showed Quilty entering the establishment with an unidentified object clenched in his hand, which he hid behind his back, before leaving with the bucket about a minute later.
Nevertheless, police were unable to locate Quilty until two months later, when he was arrested sitting on a doorstep at a nearby school.
In addition to charges related to the robbery, Quilty was charged with a theft under $5,000, failure to attend court and two breaches of a court order.
Prosecutor Jeff Summers and defence lawyer Joan Dawson submitted a joint recommendation for 2 1/2 years in prison for Quilty, noting he has a criminal record as well as significant mental-health issues.
In 2008 Quilty was deemed not criminally responsible by way of serious mental illness for similar crimes and others. Dawson had made an application for a mental-health assessment under the same section of the Criminal Code this time around, but a forensic psychiatrist deemed Quilty fit to stand trial. The doctor did note Quilty was suffering from mental-health challenges, however.
When given an opportunity to address the court, Quilty, who appeared by video from prison, gave a mostly incomprehensible 30-minute reading from a written document.
Judge David Orr accepted the joint submission. With credit given for the time Quilty has already spent in custody, he has just over two years left to serve.
