BY KEITH LACEY
The powerful scientific tool DNA was the only way the local Crown's office could catch a career criminal involved in a Sudbury break and enter five years ago.
?Thank God for DNA...it was our entire case,? said assistant Crown attorney Karen Lische Thursday in reading in facts against Sean Gravelle, 37.
Court heard blood samples gathered from a break and enter of a downtown book store five years ago showed Gravelle was responsible. Blood samples taken from another break and enter at a downtown women's clothing store last October also showed Gravelle was the perpetrator.
A total of $1,700 in merchandise was taken from the clothing store, but nothing was taken in the bookstore incident.
Defence counsel Andrew Buttazzoni said Gravelle has a longstanding addiction to various hard drugs and has little or no memory of either break and enter, but doesn't refute the DNA evidence proves he's responsible for both crimes.
Two years ago, Gravelle pleaded guilty to more property crimes to feed his drug addiction and asked to go to a federal penitentiary rather than a provincial institution so he could access counseling and treatment, said Buttazzoni.
Unfortunately, he couldn't beat his addiction and committed the clothing store break and enter last October.
Gravelle is a very talented artist and the local John Howard Society has committed to helping him purchase materials and space to sell his artwork once this sentence expires, said Buttazzoni.
Gravelle's terrible criminal record is all related to his drug addiction and he has numerous convictions for simply walking into a business while under the influence, stealing items and then getting caught immediately, he said.
Gravelle is now 37 years of age and has to finally decide to beat his addiction and stay out of trouble or face a return to the penitentiary system, which he quickly found out he did not enjoy, said Buttazzoni.
Justice Guy Mahaffy agreed to the seven-month sentence, but did not agree to a proposal to impose any probation order against Gravelle.
This accused is now approaching middle age and if doesn't realize he must address his drug problem and quit committing crimes then no probation order will assist him or any member of the community, said Mahaffy.
Mahaffy did order Gravelle to provide a DNA sample for a national crime data bank. The DNA samples taken from him in relation to his two guilty pleas were obtained by a warrant from police.
