[Fasd_canadian_link] Man breaks nose after crashing stolen dump truck: New Brunswick

[Elspeth Ross]

"...Ward suffers from a number of psychological problems including 
attention deficit disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional behaviour 
and has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as diagnosed by a psychiatrist.
She said this largely helps explain his impulsive behaviour and why 
he has been so disruptive in court .."

Man breaks nose after crashing stolen dump truck
Laura MacInnis Miramichi Leader. Telegraph-Journal. Saint John, N.B.: 
Mar 27, 2010. pg. I.2

A stolen dump truck didn't turn out to be such a great way to get 
home from the bar for James Ward.

The Red Bank man appeared in Miramichi provincial court earlier this 
week to be sentenced for a number of theft and breach of probation 
charges including stealing a gravel truck from Newcastle Ready Mix. 
He received six months for all the convictions after pleading guilty 
to everything.

Crown prosecutor Bannon Morrissy told Judge Geri Mahoney he felt Ward 
needed more time in custody for his crimes.

On July 30, the 24-year-old left the bars for the night, but when he 
realized he didn't have a ride home he went looking to steal a 
vehicle. Ward told police he first went to Clearsight Auto Glass and 
tried to hot-wire a Ford F-150. When that didn't work he "smashed the 
truck window out of frustration."

Then he spotted the gravel truck and, finding the keys inside, tried 
to drive it home. Not understanding how to drive such a big rig and 
not knowing how to use the brakes, he quickly crashed the truck. He 
hit a culvert, causing $4,400 in damage to the vehicle and broke his 
nose on the steering wheel.

In an apology letter to the court Ward said he acted alone and had 
only stolen the vehicle because he needed a ride.

Morrissy said though the damage was extensive Newcastle Ready Mix was 
able to save money in repairs by fixing the dump truck themselves 
using second-hand parts.

Having no job, Mahoney acknowledged it was unlikely Ward would ever 
be able to pay restitution for the dump truck or the Ford's window.

Ward was picked up by the Miramichi Police Force and held in custody 
Jan. 12 for stealing a box of Crest White Strips from the Pleasant 
Street Sobeys and attempting to steal a bottle of rye from the liquor 
store for which he also pleaded guilty.

After being place in custody that day he was charged with damage to 
his cell for cutting himself and smearing blood all over the walls - 
writing his name with his own blood and "666-" and for flooding the 
cell toilet.

Later when he appeared in court on the charges he broke the handcuffs 
he was wearing and was charged with damage to court property.

For each of these crimes he also pleaded guilty to breaching 
probation, having been released from a 37-month prison sentence only 
months before.

His legal aid-appointed lawyer, Melanie MacAulay told the court Ward 
suffers from a number of psychological problems including attention 
deficit disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional behaviour and has 
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as diagnosed by a psychiatrist.

She said this largely helps explain his impulsive behaviour and why 
he has been so disruptive in court on other occasions.

"We've seen him in court blurting out things that are contrary to his 
best interest," MacAulay reminded the court of times Ward spoke out 
of turn to MacAulay and was removed from the courtroom.

"Stealing the gravel truck was an impulsive act. It would have been 
obvious to anyone who went looking for it," she said, explaining it 
was clearly not the planned actions of a cunning thief.

His parole officer suggested he be placed in a special care home and 
MacAulay said her client wished to serve a conditional sentence 
rather than more jail time.

Ward, on nearly every appearance in court has cursed and given the 
finger to members of the media and disrupted the judge. However, 
during sentencing he apologized for his behaviour in court.

"I want to say I'm sorry for being disruptive. And I want apologize 
to that lady," he said pointing to this Miramichi Leader reporter. 
"I'm sorry for swearing at her and giving her the finger. I just 
didn't want my name to be all over the community in the newspaper."

Ward cried, saying he was trying to turn his life around by going 
back to school and spoke of not "having a hard time" with other 
inmates in prison.

"Just because I have [Fetal Alcohol Syndrome] I'm going to spend most 
of my life in jail. Cause I'm impulsive"[broken bar]my family tries 
to help me, but that makes me want to do the opposite of what they 
say and then I get in trouble."

He said his health problems mixed with his drug addiction was a 
dangerous combination.

"I took too many pills that night," he said of stealing the dump 
truck. "It let my inhibitions down. It made me feel invincible."

Letters of support came to the judge from his doctor as well as Chief 
Noah Augustine.

The judge said she was impressed with the support he has in the 
community and the wisdom he showed in speaking about his impulsive 
behaviour. But she said she could not let him out of jail immediately 
because the charges were "too many, and too serious."

Due to the remand credit he received from being in custody since 
January, he will only serve 45 more days in jail followed by six 
months' probation.

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