Jailed for theft at airport

A uniquely educated thief who was caught red-handed attempting to steal a pickup truck from a parking lot at Kamloops Airport has been ordered to spend the next year in prison.

Sean Patrick Nicholson, 36, pleaded guilty Thursday in Kamloops provincial court to charges of attempted theft of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen property and driving while prohibited.

On Aug. 28, court heard, Mounties were surveilling a Ford F-450 that had been stolen the previous day from an address in Dallas. They followed the vehicle to Kamloops Airport.

Crown prosecutor Anthony Varesi said police watched as the driver of the stolen truck, Nicholson, got out and broke into a nearby Dodge pickup.

“This was around 11 p.m., so there weren't a lot of people around,” Varesi said.

“The accused was able to access the black Dodge and was getting into the driver’s seat of the vehicle when the police officers who had been surveilling him were able to stop him and arrest him.”

Nicholson has more than 30 previous convictions on his criminal record, including eight for possession of stolen property and 10 for driving while prohibited.

Defence lawyer James Ross said Nicholson has an engineering degree from UBC and used to own his own business. He said Nicholson’s life began to unravel in 2015 after he was diagnosed with cancer.

“Eventually he lost his business, which was his livelihood,” he said. “He lost his home, as well. He started using methamphetamine in 2019.”

Ross said Nicholson’s cancer is now in remission.

Kamloops Provincial Court Judge Marian Armstrong went along with a joint submission that will see Nicholson spend the next 12 months behind bars. He was sentenced to time served for driving while prohibited and one year of a new time for the attempted theft and possession of stolen property offences.

Armstrong urged Nicholson to get his life back on track.

“Attempts to steal vehicles by people with engineering degrees are probably more likely to succeed than those without,” she said, “You’ve got to use your gifts for good, not evil."