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‘You are the epitome of the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth,’ courts hears in victim impact statement.
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Convicted embezzler Dale Sutherland is the “epitome of the seven deadly sins,” one of his two former employers told court Friday.
In a victim impact statement he read in court, Brad LaForge said earlier comments that Sutherland was living alone and needed time out of custody to get his affairs in order was a consequence of his own criminal behaviour.
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“There were nine of us sitting in the courtroom the day you were convicted who had accepted you as family,” LaForge noted.
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“You tossed us aside for your own greed and gluttony.”
Justice Jim Eamon earlier rejected a bid by Sutherland to set aside his guilty plea on a charge of fraud over $5,000 last September, finding his claims he didn’t understand the true jeopardy he faced when he admitted embezzling $1 million from his employers unreliable.
Sutherland, 68, had agreed through counsel to admit the fraud perpetrated on Kore Group Inc. and its related company and to a five-year sentence and a $1-million restitution order.
LaForge, one of the two principals of the Calgary company said Sutherland’s crime cause severe financial devastation.
“I won’t expect you to ever understand what you put us through,” he said.
“You are the epitome of the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth. The word parasite comes to mind when I think of you. Mr. Big Shot, living high off the hard work and efforts of others.”
As part of a statement of agreed facts signed by Sutherland and entered into court by Crown prosecutor Aaron Rankin, was a log of luxury cruises the offender had taken during his time working for Kore.
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During the period he admitted to stealing from the company from April 2013, to his dismissal in November 2017, he took 13 tours with Princess Cruise Line, the log indicated.
Kore co-principal, Kent Werner, also indicated Sutherland’s dishonesty was financially devastating.
“Dale’s crime stole my life savings,” Werner said in his victim impact statement, read in by Rankin.
“It was perpetrated for years through disturbing manipulation, deception, and betrayal.”
Werner said Sutherland’s conduct had a crippling effect on the Kore companies.
“He stole for years when we were in a high growth phase. Imagine what might have been if we had that cash in those years; where might the business have gone? What might we have done?”
Despite Sutherland’s attempt to renege on his plea deal, Rankin still proposed a five-year sentence and $1-million restitution order, a submission accepted by Eamon.
KMartin@postmedia.com
X: @KMartinCourts
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