(Special to the News)
A botched robbery has earned a 29-year old Port Alberni woman four months in jail.
Tara Patricia Miller was found guilty of attempted robbery for walking into the Krush Smoothie Restaurant on July 8, 2014 where she pushed a hold-up note towards the cashier and showed the butt-end of a gun.
The restaurant owner saw what was happening and came out from the rear of the store and told Miller to get out of the shop.
“She used a fake gun, but it was so fake that it didn’t fool anyone,” Crown prosecutor Todd Patola told the court.
A brief struggle broke out and Miller punched the store owner and ran across 10th Avenue into the trees.
Police were called and searched the area, finding discarded clothes Miller was wearing, and the hold-up note—“Be quiet. Slowly give me all the money B4 I shoot everyone”—written on the back of Miller’s own resume.
Miller’s lawyer Michael Munroe said it was “an ill-conceived moment of desperation … a complete lack of thought”.
Judge Ted Gouge called it “the most inept robbery one could imagine”.
Miller was easily tracked down by the address on her resume, and was arrested without incident.
She was released on bail on Jan. 20, and given strict conditions while awaiting trial.
On May 12 she was again arrested, this time for being caught stealing $6 worth of costume jewellery from Walmart, and was sent back to jail.
She admitted to being addicted to cocaine, and said she was on the drug at the time of the robbery. She also suffers from psychiatric issues and takes medication for depression.
A hairdresser and esthetician by training, Miller said she wants to continue to work in that field, while sharing custody of her two young children.
She was given a total sentence of 121 days’ time-served, and three years’ probation where she has to stay out of trouble and off of illegal drugs.
She will be back in court on July 22 when the Crown seeks forfeiture of her bail.