A 29-year-old homeless man was sentenced to seven months behind bars for a string of mischief and theft charges at Moose Jaw Provincial Court recently. 

Thomas Wadham pleaded guilty to seven charges as part of a joint submission between Legal Aid lawyer Suzanne Lalonde and Crown prosecutor Rob Parker. 

On Feb. 27, Wadham was found sleeping in the lobby of a building on High Street that he was not supposed to attend as part of a no-contact order. That same day, police received a call for service where Wadham was in the Scotia Bank ATM room and there were cannabis butts on the floor. He was subsequently charged with mischief. 

Police attended Crescent Park on March 27 to arrest a Wadham for breaching an undertaking. As he was being arrested, officers found two butter knives in his pocket when he was on an order to not have any weapons or knives. 

On March 17, Wadham was caught on CCTV stealing a pair of sunglasses and change. 

Wadham was charged on April 2 for smoking inside the Scotia Bank ATM room and was also found to have a knife in his pocket, breaching an undertaking. 

Wadham was once again found laying in the lobby of the building of High Street East against his probation order. He was found sleeping in that building again on April 8 and told the person that found him that “You’re dead.” 

On April 15, Wadham was found sleeping in the lobby of the Walter Scott Building lobby contrary to a release order.  

He was charged with causing a disturbance at the Town and Country Mall days later causing a disturbance with outbursts of profanity. Parker said he actions forced the staff of Maurices to shutter their doors for their safety. 

On May 9, he was found sleeping once again at the building on High Street East and sleeping in the Walter Scott Building on May 12. 

Parker said the aggravating factors were that there were repeated breaches of a no-contact order, at least one occurrence where knives were found and threats had been uttered. The joint submission was for seven months of incarceration. Parker also presented a prior criminal record. 

Wadham had 34 of actual days in custody and received 51 days credit. 

Lalonde told the court Wadham has a cognitive impairment that requires community support. She noted there was a gap from 2017-2024 in his criminal record. She said bring those seven years he was in community living or had housing through Turning Leaf Support Services.  

Lalonde said his crimes were directly connected to homelessness and addiction. She added that she, Turning Leaf and other organizations are completing a plan to find him safe and secure place to live when he’s released. 

Judge Brian Hendrickson agreed to follow the joint submission. He gave Wadham credit for the guilty pleas and the fact there is a plan in place when he is release. However, he found the aggravating factors to be his past criminal record and the large number of offences.