A man convicted in a 2016 armed robbery at Unis Jewellers in Windsor has been sentenced to seven years in jail.
Wayne Schmidt, 31, is getting credit for time already served, so he'll be in jail for six years and three months.
Six Windsor police officers escorted Schmidt into the courtroom for sentencing on Tuesday.
On Jan. 20, 2016, police say a man with his face covered pointed a gun at two people behind the counter at Unis Jewellers Ltd. at 1569 Tecumseh Rd E around 5 p.m.
No injuries were reported, but the suspect left the store with $16,000 worth of goods that have never been found.
During his trial, Schmidt maintained his innocence. But he was found guilty of robbery and using a firearm while committing an offence.
The owner of the store, Kenneth Unis, said in a victim impact statement that his life has changed forever.
Schmidt’s defence lawyer Ken Marley was asking for a year prison sentence to help with rehabilitation. While he does not accept responsibility, Schmidt expressed remorse towards the victims and told the court “I’m happy no one got hurt.”
Crown attorney George Spartinos wanted a seven-year sentence, citing Schmidt’s long criminal record and two previous convictions for robbery.
After the sentence was read, Schmidt bowed his head and began to cry.
As part of his sentence, Schmidt is banned from owning a firearm for life. He must also provide a DNA sample and pay $16,000 to the store owner as restitution for the items stolen.
