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An apprentice electrician who held up nine banks in three provinces during a two-month crime spree 香蕉视频直播� including one in Vernon 香蕉视频直播� was sentenced on Tuesday to seven years in prison.

Shaun Cornish, 29, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from robberies in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan in late 2014 and early 2015. Prosecutors sought a sentence of up to 12 years behind bars, but B.C. Supreme Court Justice Keith Bracken ruled the first-time offender stands a good chance of rehabilitation, is remorseful and can once again become a productive member of society.

With credit for 13 months already spent in jail, Cornish has another four years to serve in a federal penitentiary.

The defence submitted letters of support from friends and family.

香蕉视频直播淎ll the letters have the same theme,香蕉视频直播� Bracken said. 香蕉视频直播淭he charges are surprising to the letter writer and completely out of character.香蕉视频直播�

Cornish wielded a fake handgun in eight of the nine robberies, typically apologizing to clerks.

Court heard Cornish香蕉视频直播檚 bank-robbing spree began on Dec. 1, 2014, in Princeton. In that case, he used a cellphone to call in a decoy 911 report about a suspicious man with a bat, then walked into a bank armed with an imitation handgun and demanded cash.

Crown prosecutor Evan Goulet said Cornish walked into the bank, sat down across from a teller and asked how her day was going.

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Cornish made off with $485 香蕉视频直播� a paltry sum in comparison to amounts he collected at later holdups.

Eight days after the Princeton robbery, Cornish walked into an Interior Savings branch in Vernon, pulled his imitation firearm from his waistband and asked for 香蕉视频直播渆veryone香蕉视频直播檚 money.香蕉视频直播�

Goulet said Cornish became agitated, raising his voice and asking tellers if they wanted to spend Christmas with their families. He was given an undisclosed amount of money.

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On Dec. 19, 2014, Cornish pulled a similar robbery at a Scotiabank in High River, demanding large bills only and no dye packs.

香蕉视频直播淥ne of the customers asked if he was robbing them,香蕉视频直播� Goulet said. 香蕉视频直播淢r. Cornish replied, 香蕉视频直播楴o, man, I香蕉视频直播檓 not robbing you. I香蕉视频直播檓 robbing them.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈��

Again, Cornish was apologetic.

香蕉视频直播淢r. Cornish took $2,050, mumbled 香蕉视频直播業香蕉视频直播檓 sorry香蕉视频直播� and casually left the bank,香蕉视频直播� Goulet said.

Four days later, on Dec. 23, 2014, Cornish made off with $4,150 from a Royal Bank branch in Merritt. On Jan. 8, 2015, he robbed a branch of the same bank in Swift Current, Sask., of more than $1,200. In mid-January 2015, Cornish held up banks in Lethbridge, Alta., Claresholm, Alta., and Aldergrove, B.C., before driving north to commit his final robbery.

On Jan. 28, 2015, he entered a CIBC in Dawson Creek, B.C., pulled his imitation pistol and approached a teller, who was counting money.

香蕉视频直播淢r. Cornish reached across the counter and took most of the money while saying, 香蕉视频直播業香蕉视频直播檓 sorry,香蕉视频直播� and, 香蕉视频直播業 know this f香蕉视频直播�-ing sucks,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� Goulet said.

Cornish, who wore a disguise of sunglasses and a hat for all of his robberies, was done in by a surveillance camera at a store near the Dawson Creek CIBC. It showed a white truck pulling into a parking space, a man exiting the vehicle and returning a short time later.

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Police used the licence plate on Cornish香蕉视频直播檚 truck to track him to a hotel in Grande Prairie, Alta., where he was arrested by an RCMP tactical team on Jan. 30, 2015. He has been in custody since.

Court heard Cornish has no criminal record and no mental-health issues. What he did have at the time was considerable debt, a penchant for gambling and a recreational drug habit. He was only months from graduating to become a journeyman electrician before his crime spree began.

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Goulet argued for a prison term in the range of eight to 12 years given the seriousness of Cornish香蕉视频直播檚 offences.

Defence lawyer Dale Melville, meanwhile, has recommended a prison sentence of six years.

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Court heard Cornish had a healthy upbringing and excelled in school. He lost his job and owed $60,000 to various creditors before deciding to rob banks.