Woman targets South Okanagan locker rooms to fuel her addictions

PENTICTON – A woman who stole from South Okanagan locker rooms in a search for money to fuel her addictions will spend several months in jail for her crimes.

Danielle Leona Bonnamour, 42, received a five month jail term in Penticton court today, Sept. 25, after entering guilty pleas to two counts of fraud under $5,000, four counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000 and one count of theft under $5,000, stemming from three separate incidents that began last July.

Crown prosecutor Andrew Vandersluys told court Penticton RCMP were called to the Penticton Golf and Country Club on July 14, 2017, after a patron discovered his wife’s wallet missing after the lock to his locker had been cut. Shortly after, police were informed of 10 separate transactions taking place using a credit card from the wallet, racking up charges of $1,710.80.

Bonnamour, accompanied by a man in some cases, was linked to the transactions through video footage taken at various establishments. She was seen using the card in several instances.

On Aug. 8, police in Summerland were notified of the theft of keys from a locker at the Summerland Community Pool. The owner of the keys found them on the floor of his vehicle, which had been entered. His wallet and his girlfriend’s cell phone were missing.

An eyewitness at the pool confirmed a woman taking the keys from the locker.

Later that day two purchases totalling $48.27 were made in Summerland. Security video from the retail outlets allowed police to once again identify Bonnamour.

On Aug. 10, police spotted Bonnamour’s vehicle near Memorial Park in Summerland. Police were able to see a credit card on the floor that belonged to the Summerland Pool victim, and obtained a search warrant to enter the vehicle, where they found other credit cards and cheques belonging to the victim, as well as the victim’s girlfriend’s cell phone.

Around 10:20 p.m. police were notified of an attempted bike theft of a $4,000 mountain bike from in front of a Summerland restaurant. Bystanders had chased down the would-be thief, later identified as Bonnamour, and held her for police.

Vandersluys asked Judge Meg Shaw to consider a sentence totalling six months and seven days, including a year’s probation, citing Bonnamour’s criminal history, which involved a past offence for using forged documents.

Defence lawyer Michael Patterson said his client sought to deal with her crimes the instant she was arrested, explaining her behaviours as the result of being “in the throes of addiction.”

He said his client had made several attempts on her own to beat her addictions, noting her criminal history had a six year gap between 2009 and 2015, after which her current addiction fuelled crime spree had begun.

He asked the judge to consider a suspended sentence along with a requirement for residential treatment.

“She is motivated, and intent this court visit is her last,” Patterson told court.

Judge Shaw agreed Bonnamour’s record had a significant break in criminal activity as well as her early guilty pleas, sentencing Bonnamour to a total of five months in jail and 12 months probation.

With time served, Bonnamour has 76 days remaining in her sentence.

In a separate matter, Bonnamour also entered a guilty plea for driving without a license, for which she received a $500 fine.

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