The man known as the 'screwdriver bandit' has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to seven hold ups at variety stores and gas bars.
Philip Haskett, 31, started his crime spree last fall, just two weeks after being released from prison for a series of break-ins.
He robbed seven convenience stores and gas bars in Kitchener and Waterloo, armed only with a screwdriver.
Witnesses who saw the surveillance video released by authorities called police and identified Haskett as the man wielding the screwdriver.
Crown Prosecutor Michael Murdoch says the surveillance video was key to the case. "Four of the cases had video involved," he says. "People should expect now when they go into these stores, that there's going to be video running."
The defence says Haskett's crimes were fuelled by his heroin and crack cocaine addictions.
Haskett's lawyer Tom Brock says the situation is ironic because Haskett had once studied to become a drug addiction counsellor.
Brock added that his client never threatened to hurt anyone. He says that Haskett fled to Halifax when he knew he'd be identified soon, but broke down when he realized what drugs had driven him to do.
"It just got the best of him and it's a long standing addiction. An addiction he simply could not cope with," says Brock.
Haskett reportedly hopes his time behind bars will help overcome his drug addiction.
