A man previously deemed a high-risk offender who was thwarted partway through a West Vancouver break-in has been handed a 5½-year jail sentence - on top of four months already spent in custody - on account of his criminal past.
North Vancouver provincial court Judge John Milne recently handed the federal sentence to Douglas Paul Ehret, 49, for breaking into a home in the 800-block of Margaree Place in the middle of the day on Dec. 29.
A passerby spotted Ehret after he broke in to the home through a window. When an alarm was triggered, Ehret took off empty-handed. He was seen by witnesses heading south towards Clyde Avenue.
A police dog tracked Ehret to a wooded area behind Park Royal's south mall. He was eventually arrested at a works yard under the Lions Gate Bridge.
Milne handed Ehret the lengthy sentence despite the fact he didn't actually get away with any property, based on his extensive criminal history.
That includes a 30- month sentence for unlawful confinement handed to him in Kelowna in 2000 as well as a two-year sentence and five-year sentence for break-ins in that city, handed down in 2005 and 2007.
Ehret has also been the subject of several public warnings by police who have said he has a history of randomly targeting women who are alone. He has had his parole revoked previously for violating conditions including the need to report all interactions with girls or women to his parole officer.
Ehret has been placed under a special recognizance twice before, which allowed him to be monitored as a risk to commit a serious personal injury offence.
