ATHABASCA – A local man who attempted to rob an Athabasca gas station in August 2023 has pleaded guilty, but he’ll have to wait another three months to receive his sentence.
In the Athabasca Court of Justice Oct. 28, Gordon Goulet pleaded guilty to robbery with a restricted or prohibited weapon, and possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted fire arm. Wearing a dark blue dress shirt and appearing via CCTV from the Edmonton Remand Centre (ERC) where he has been incarcerated for 14 months. Goulet remained quiet while Crown prosecutor Andrew Dirgo and duty counsel Gordon Collins discussed his plea.
Goulet was denied bail, and has been incarcerated since his Aug. 27, 2023 arrest.
Goulet requested a pre-sentencing report, as well as a Gladue report, which will need to be prepared. He’s back in court on Feb. 10, 2025 for sentencing.
Court heard that on Aug. 27, 2023, Goulet drove his truck, a white GMC pickup to the Husky station on 50 Ave in Athabasca. Wearing a Vancouver Canucks jersey, he pulled out a cut down .22 rifle, which had been modified into a handgun. He loaded it, put it back in his pocket, and walked into the gas station.
Inside was a cashier and three customers who witnessed the interaction. Goulet began to yell, demanding cigarettes, before pulling the gun from his pocket and gesturing with it towards the cashier, before returning it to his pocket.
After the other customers had finished their transactions and left, the cashier tried to talk to Goulet for a few minutes and calm him down but was unsuccessful. Goulet left the store without taking the cigarettes or any other product.
From the Husky, Goulet went west to the Petro-Canada station, also on 50 Ave, where he asked the cashier where the police station was. The cashier didn’t know, but offered Goulet a phone. He declined, told the clerk not to worry, and left.
Goulet got in his car, and left town on Highway 2. After signalling left and failing to turn, he was pulled over for a traffic stop by the RCMP. After initially pulling over, he drove back onto the road and continued south, with speeds varying between 80 and 160 kilometres an hour. He was eventually stopped by a tire deflation device and arrested.
Mental health struggles
After his arrest, Goulet spoke to a lawyer and gave police a warrant cautioned statement where he said he had been on medication for pain, depression, and anxiety for several years, but hadn’t taken his medication in four days at that point. He admitted to making the handgun with parts from a rifle he had at home. He also admitted to the robbery, as well as to knowing that his Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) had expired in 2020.
Goulet was with initially charged with 13 offences: three counts of careless use of a firearm, two counts each of using a firearm in commission of an offence and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and single charges of robbery with a firearm, robbery with a restricted firearm, pointing a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm, and flight from a peace officer.
While most charges were dropped over the last year, Goulet maintained not guilty pleas to manufacturing a prohibited firearm, possession of a firearm while unauthorized, and flight from a peace officer.
