Avalon Mall jewelry heist leads to prison sentence
A brazen robbery at an Avalon Mall jewelry store has resulted in a prison sentence for a St. John's carpenter with a lengthy criminal record.
Ronald Fitzgerald, 41, has been given a 30-month sentence, less time already served, for a March 2016 robbery of Davanna's jewelry store, where he threatened to shoot staff if they called for security.
Fitzgerald walked into the store on the evening of March 16, 2016, and ordered staff to fill a backpack he dumped on the counter of a display of diamond rings.
Fitzgerald told staff he was armed with a gun, even though no weapon was seen by staff nor captured by surveillance cameras.
He fled from the scene with merchandise that had a retail value of $144,339.63. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary reported last year that the heist involved a "significant" number of rings, necklaces and bracelets.
Merchandise never found
The stolen jewelry was never recovered. The Crown acknowledged that the actual loss was different, and the store did not document its actual loss to the court.
Fitzgerald's freedom was limited. A police officer who knew Fitzgerald from his 22-year criminal record identified him on surveillance video, and a taxi driver who had given him rides to and from the mall immediately picked him out of a photo lineup.
After a warrant was issued for his arrest, Fitzgerald was located the next night in St. John's.
Fitzgerald pleaded guilty in court, which Justice Rosalie McGrath cited as a mitigating factor for sentencing.
She also noted that he has participated in several programs during remand, including one for drug rehabilitation.
The Crown and defence had made a joint submission on sentencing, which McGrath accepted.
In a written decision released Monday, McGrath agreed to give Fitzgerald credit for time served at a rate of 1.5 for each day in remand, adding up to 468 days against a 30-month sentence.
