A District of Squamish employee charged with theft under $5,000 pleaded guilty Thursday (April 5) in North Vancouver Provincial Court and was ordered to spend a year on probation.Shelley Gatzke, 53, must repay $550 to the Receiver General of Canada for money stolen from fingerprinting fees at the Squamish RCMP detachment. Judge Steven Merrick, however, assessed no fine, waived the victim's surcharge and let Gatzke avoid community service work because her lawyer said she had a long list of health problems.
Crown Counsel Lisa Falloon recommended probation, community service and restitution equal to the amount of receipts found in Gatzke's desk.
"She has suffered as much as any jail sentence could make a person suffer," Merrick said.
Gatzke, sitting beside defence lawyer Brian Hughes, said she had nothing to add when Merrick asked if she wanted to address the court.
Hughes earlier described Gatzke as a mother of two adult children who has been married 36 years and has worked 27 years as a municipal employee at the RCMP detachment. She was a shop steward in the municipal employees' union and has volunteered with Girl Guides and the Canadian Cancer Society.
"Everything you'd want from a citizen," Hughes said.
He said Gatzke developed cancer 10 years ago and she took three years off work to undergo major surgeries. Four years ago she was diagnosed with diabetes, he said. She also had a three-month battle with pneumonia and suffered from anxiety and depression.
Hughes said she felt "picked on" for a December 2010 work-related suspension.
"That's the best explanation she can come up with as to what triggered her to take the money," he said.
"She's just absolutely mortified and embarrassed," Hughes said, adding that she confessed the crime to RCMP. "She locked herself in her house since this happened."
When she was charged in early February, Staff Sgt. Guy Pollock said the detachment had reviewed its cash-handling procedures and made changes to avoid similar problems in the future.
Pollock added that Gatzke's RCMP security clearance was revoked and that she is not allowed access to non-public areas of any RCMP building or classified information.
Christie Smith, District of Squamish communications manager, said she could not say whether Gatzke is still employed by the district "due to employee confidentiality" rules.
- With files from David Burke, The Chief
