The Telegram
A 33-year-old St. John’s man with a history of breaking into vehicles is in custody on close to three dozen new charges.
Police allege Justin Chipman is responsible for a string of thefts from vehicles in the metro area over the past number of months.
Chipman is currently facing 34 charges related to incidents between June and October. Among them: charges of possessing stolen credit cards, unauthorized use of credit cards, theft under $5,000, fraud under $5,000, possession of stolen property — including a motor vehicle — flight from police, dangerous driving and breaching court orders. The earliest charges relate to a vehicle that was broken into by way of a smashed window while parked near the Fluvarium during daylight in June. Chipman is accused of using credit cards that were stolen in the break-in.
The most recent theft charge relates to a break-in into a vehicle parked outside a store on Aberdeen Avenue one lunchtime last month.
Chipman was arrested mid-October after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was denied bail and has been in custody ever since.
Chipman made a brief appearance in provincial court in St. John’s Thursday morning by video from Her Majesty’s Penitentiary. His lawyer, Candace Summers, said she had recently received the disclosure for some of the charges and asked for time to review it with Chipman. He’ll make his next court appearance by video on Nov. 17.
Chipman has long been known to police, who set up a sting operation to catch the thief responsible for breaking into vehicles on Memorial University’s St. John’s campus six years ago. Chipman was driving a stolen SUV the evening of Feb. 18, 2014 when police witnessed him breaking the window of a parked car and stealing a laptop and camera. Police officers confronted Chipman, who tried to escape in the vehicle before it became stuck in a snowbank. As he continued to spin the tires, an RNC officer fired a shot through the driver’s window, grazing Chipman’s chest and elbow.
Chipman, who wasn’t seriously injured, got away but was arrested hours later at a residence. He was eventually convicted of dangerous driving, theft and possession of stolen property, but was acquitted of charges of assaulting a police officer after a judge ruled police had used unjustified force and breached his rights.
An independent investigation determined a year later that the officer had acted appropriately.
Chipman filed a civil suit against the RNC in 2016 and it was settled out of court.