Brandon James Sharp was jailed for six months following a Wednesday, June 21 sentencing hearing at provincial court in Nanaimo. (NanaimoNewsNOW file photo)

By Ian Holmes

driving offences

Man jailed for driving offences, including fleeing police in truck tied to infamous Lantzville mischief case

Jun 26, 2023 | 5:31 AM

NANAIMO — An unenviable driving record caught up to a Nanaimo man sentenced to six months behind bars for a series of infractions while behind the wheel.

Brandon James Sharp, 33, was jailed recently following a sentencing hearing in provincial court in Nanaimo after he pleaded guilty to a dozen charges linked to three incidents in the Nanaimo area last year and this past January.

In one case, the banned driver was operating a stolen truck belonging to Lantzville’s Stanley Pottie, which police were looking for during patrols in Cassidy on June 23, 2022.

An agreed statement of facts heard a police cruiser flashed its emergency lights after the truck.

Instead of pulling over, Sharp accelerated on Hallberg Rd, then sped south on the Trans Canada Hwy.

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The officer, who positively identified Sharp since they were in such close proximity, abandoned the pursuit for safety reasons.

“You can see by his record and from the files before you Mr. Sharp continues to drive and in a dangerous way on some occasions,” the Crown’s Leanne Mascolo told provincial court judge Ted Gouge.

While Sharp pleaded guilty to flight from police for the Cassidy incident, he had no knowledge that the truck was stolen.

Several days earlier Stanley Pottie allegedly smashed the driver side window of a parked truck on Ware Rd. with a baseball bat, believing the truck was his.

Nanaimo RCMP alleged Pottie was mistaken and that he in fact targeted other than his.

Pottie was later charged with mischief in connection to the incident captured on video and widely shared on social media.

Pottie is slated to enter a plea to the mischief under $5,000 allegation on Tuesday, June 27 in court in Nanaimo.

Sharp was fined $1,000, handed a five year driving ban and one year probation following a Wednesday, June 21 sentencing hearing.

Court was told addiction issues have plagued Sharp, who got into difficulty with heroin and crystal meth in his mid 20’s.

About a dozen other charges applied against Sharp were tossed out.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes