CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A P.E.I. man who was caught with eight bags of methamphetamine pills hidden inside a shop vac in his home was sentenced Tuesday to two years less a day in jail.
Jeremy Joseph Cummiskey, 26, appeared before Justice Jacqueline Matheson in P.E.I. Supreme Court in Charlottetown for sentencing after he previously pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking.
Reading from an agreed statement of facts, federal Crown attorney Sean Seviour told the court that on Sept. 13, 2018, Charlottetown police started investigating Cummiskey based on information from a confidential source.
The court heard the police began video surveillance of Cummiskey’s home in December 2018 and saw short, daily visits that were consistent with drug trafficking.
Seviour said the police obtained a search warrant for Cummiskey’s residence where they arrested him.
During the search, the police found a total of 7,279 methamphetamine pills, including eight bags hidden inside a shop vac.
The court heard the police also found a variety of other pills of differing sizes and colours, three Airsoft BB guns, a multi-coloured sword, a digital scale and a bag of white powder.
Cummiskey had a prior criminal record that included a conviction in 2016 for an assault with a 2x6 that cost the victim an eye and left him with nine metal plates in his head.
The judge in that case sentenced Cummiskey to more than 26 months in prison.
During the defence submissions, lawyer Thane MacEachern said Cummiskey didn’t have a very positive experience in prison.
“He came out worse than when he went in,” MacEachern said.
While Cummiskey was serving his sentence for the assault, The Guardian previously reported the Parole Board of Canada said he was assessed as a high risk to re-offend violently.
A report from the board said Cummiskey had been segregated for poor behaviour during his incarceration and a security assessment noted he met the criteria as a maximum-security offender.
He was also described as being disrespectful, aggressive and intimidating toward correctional staff and other inmates.
On Tuesday, MacEachern said that since Cummiskey went into custody in May he has sought help, completed anger management programming and enrolled in a substance abuse treatment program.
The court heard Cummiskey started using drugs when he was 12 and MacEachern said when that happens there isn’t a quick fix.
During the Crown submissions on a sentence, Seviour said it was important to send a message to people like Cummiskey that there are serious consequences for drug trafficking.
Before hearing his sentence, Cummiskey spoke and apologized to the court, his family and his girlfriend.
Cummiskey said he was going to take the chance to better his life.
In sentencing Cummiskey, Matheson accepted a joint recommendation from the Crown and defence.
The two years less a day will be on top of 175 days Cummiskey spent in custody prior to his sentencing.
Along with the jail time, Cummiskey will be on probation for two years after his release.
He must provide a DNA sample for the national databank and will be under a weapons prohibition for 10 years.
