EDMONTON — A man who admitted to selling memorial plaques stolen from Griesbach for scrap metal was sentenced to nine months behind bars Tuesday, after Justice Joyce Lester said the “impact of treating these symbols of democracy as scrap metal,” could not be ignored.

Lester said the “damage done and disrespect” to 19 plaques stolen from the Griesbach community, celebrating notable veterans and battles from Canadian history, was “very aggravating.”

Romelo Woolf, 46, admitted to selling 16 of the plaques — which had any recognizable features already ground off, some broken into pieces — to General Scrap Iron and Metals Ltd. for $523, on behalf of a friend.

Three others were found abandoned in an alley in Griesbach.

However, Woolf said he wasn’t the one who pried the plaques from their bases in the Griesbach neighbourhood on July 23, 2017.

Court heard security camera footage from a nearby home caught two suspects in a truck tampering with a pedestal, but the suspects couldn’t be identified.

After learning of the stolen plaques through the media, court heard General Scrap Iron and Metals Ltd. contacted the police.

Police identified Woolf from the identification he provided to the scrap metal dealer.

Sonia Haer, Woolf’s defence lawyer, said Woolf “had no idea where these plaques came from,” and was homeless and hungry when he agreed to sell the metal.

Woolf has 14 prior convictions for similar property offences.

Crown prosecutor Stephanie Brown, however, argued the fact that these plaques, which hold such sentimental value for the community, were “defaced and destroyed” was a particularly aggravating factor.

“These plaques are more than just a piece of copper on a pedestal, they represent people who gave their lives, or events that happened within Canadian history that are important to where we are today,” said Brad Tilley, president of the Griesbach community league. “This senseless act of vandalism, for a small monetary value, goes far beyond that.”

The community of Griesbach is built on the former site of Canadian Forces Base Griesbach, and Tilley said many people who live there have close ties to the military in one form or another.

“There are family members of these people who are now deceased, that gave their lives, that contacted us distressed,” Tilley said.

The City of Edmonton spent $22,000 refurbishing and reinstalling the plaques, which have all since been replaced, while the community’s developer, Canada Lands Company, paid another $3,123.

Woolf was sentenced to eight months behind bars for theft over $5,000, and another month in prison for an unrelated bike theft and various charges including failing to appear in court.

Woolf has already spent 55 days in pretrial custody, giving him 83 days credit for time already served.

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Judge Lester included a restitution order to repay $22,000 to the City of Edmonton and $523 for defrauding General Scrap Iron and Metals Ltd., but acknowledged Woolf would be unlikely to ever repay that debt.

Correction - June 25, 2018: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated Romelo Woolf’s given name.

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