A 56-year-old man who took a hatchet to a glass door at Metropolis at Metrotown to get dry and warm has been banned from the Burnaby mall for a year.
Kelvin Osadchuk was sentenced in Vancouver provincial court Friday after pleading guilty to one count of mischief under $5,000 for an incident at the mall on Nov. 28 at 4:30 a.m.
Osadchuk, who represented himself at the hearing, told the court he had been in his wheelchair outside the door asking a security guard inside to let him in so he could change into dry clothes.
When the security guard said no and walked away, Osadchuk, who is currently homeless, said he took a hatchet to the door, breaking the glass.
"I was soaking wet, frustrated, hurting physically. I wanted to come in and get dry, to get in the stairway to get dry clothes on," he said.
Multiple police units arrived a short time later, and Osadchuk said officers twisted him up "like a pretzel."
He said he had had surgery on his neck and told police he was unable to put his hands behind his back, but officers cuffed him anyway.
Crown prosecutor Michael Fox called for a suspended sentence with 12 months of probation.
Judge Nancy Phillips agreed that was appropriate given the circumstances of the incident, Osadchuk's guilty plea and long gaps in his criminal record over the last decade.
The probation order's only condition is that Osadchuk not go to the Metrotown mall.
Phillips warned him violating the order could lead to more serious consequences.
"So please don't go there," she said.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on X/Twitter @CorNaylor
Email [email protected]
