NV man with lengthy record of court dates nabbed in drug deal By Anna Marie D’Angelo News Reporter DAVID Frederick Bingham has a 12-year criminal career. It was put on hold on Wednesday. North Vancouver provincial court Judge Doug Moss sentenced him to nine months in jail for nwo drug trafficking charges. “Someday you may grow up,” said Moss. Bingham, 30, sold an “cight-ball” of cocaine to an undercover North Van Mountie on May 8. The deal was set up after the Mountie called a cell number and was told “Dave” was “taking care of business for Brock.” Bingham was parked in a blue car at the Shell station near Pemberton and Marine Drive when the drug deal was made. Bingham got $500 for the cocaine. Then the Mounties closed in. Thirteen decks of the drug totalling 15.5 gms were found. Bingham was charged with trafficking cocaine and possessing cocaine for trafficking purposes. The incident marked the fifth time Bingham was charged with drug offences in the last three years. Bingham was born in North Vancouver. Court information indicates he has lived in North Vancouver and Surrey of late. Bingham’s criminal record includes con- victions for burglary, dangerous driving, fail- ing to remain at the scene of an accident, fraud, escaping custody, being unlawfully at large and breaches of court orders. Federal Crown lawyer Jay Straith called Bingham an “incorrigible” criminal with an “abysmal” record. Straith called on the court to impose a 12- to 18-month jail sentence on Bingham. Bingham’s lawyer Anthony Zipp asked the judge to consider the “dead time” his client had spent in jail awaiting the outcome of the charges. Bingham had been incarcerated in the Vancouver Pre-Trial Centre since May 10 when fudge Ian Walker decided not to release him. Zipp said the court, by convention, has viewed dead time as being the equivalent to double the amount of a jail sentence. Inmates serving jail sentences may take substance-abuse programs and counselling. Accused people serving dead time while awaiting the end of court proceedings cannot. Bingham, Zipp said, has served four months dead time or the equivalent of eight months in jail. Zipp asked for a 60-day jail sentence for his chent. “As some people say, jail is ast an expen- sive way of making bad people worse,” said Zipp. Moss brought up public finances too. “It is going ta be very expensive to the sys- tem to warehouse you your whole life,” said the judge. Moss said Bingham had shown little con- cern in having the charges dealt with quickly. Bingham showed little emotion in the pris- oner’s box, where he was flanked by ovo sher- ifs. The muscular accused with long dark hair below his shoulders was sporting a yellow T- shirt and a large tattoo on his right upper arm. Moss said Bingham had been before adult courts about 20 times on different charges. This was his second drug-trafficking charge within about a year. “You've chosen this path in your life ... Whether a jail sentence deters you, I have no idea,” said Moss. in bogus cheques By Anna Marie D'Angelo |: News Reporter “HAROLD Dee Ekenstam , owed $8,000 to a drug dealer when he stole a stack of cheques in ‘January from his employ- ‘er; North Shore Auto ‘Towing. . _’ The part-time, recently hired driver cashed one of the cheques ‘for $500 at the Money Mart in, Lower Lonsdale on Jan. 22. .. The clerk caught on the next’ day when Ekenstam, 32, tried to cash a second pay cheque in two days. ; -: On Wednesday, Ekenstam [was before North Vancouver ‘provincial “court Judge Doug Moss for sentencing. Ekenstam pleaded guilty to stealing a book of cheques from his former employer’s office on J | Welch Street on Jan. 21. He also | pleaded guilty to getting money from Money Mart by false pre- tence, ; “Ir was a nasty situation,” ‘explained Ekenstam’s lawyer " Robert Reid. '.. “The dealer pulled a gun on him and told him 9 pay up in 24 hours,” said the defence lawyer. The dealer’s name or what happened to the $8,000 debt was not revealed in court. Back in January, Ekenstam told the North Vancouver Mountie who arrested him that he needed the money for rent. He later changed his story, telling the officer he needed to pay a drug dealer. Moss put .off sentencing ‘until Oct. 9. Ekenstam will be evaluated for electronic monitor- ing. - "Moss ordered Ekenstam to pay $500 restitution to North Shore Auto Towing by Monday. The judge choose Monday because “I hate to put anything over tu Friday the 13th.” Ek. nstam’s lawyer said his client has tried to straighten out his lite by, kicking booze and drugs. Ekenstam is now employed by a concrete company and liv- ing in Richmond, said his lawyer. Crown lawyer Kerri Watson had asked for a jail sentence for the offences; but did nor say how much jail time the accused should ‘serve when asked by Judge: Moss. ° City approves construction of — four-storey office By Deana Lancaster Contributing Writer A $5-million office building - wiil rise in the central Lonsdale area, despite the protests of nearby residents, -who worry it will block their view. Construction can: begin on a four-storey office building at the corner of Lonsdale Avenue and Eighth Street. North Vancouver City council issued a development variance permit to V-1500 Holdings Inc. at a held-over council mecting on Tuesday night. The permit allows the building to be 18 ft.-(5.5 m) higher, than the allowable zoning. The major tenant will be Employment Canada. Some residents of The Library, an apartment complex located behind the devel- opment, are not happy. “It looks very much like an industrial park building, it’s not in keeping with the area,” said Nancy Heenan, one of the residents who attend- ed the public meeting on Monday night. It was the first time she’d seen a sketch of the building. “I was shocked, to say the least,” she said. The residents also expressed concern about increased traffic and an already tight parking situ- ation, But the big issue is the height of the building. “I find it difficult to believe that marker value (of nearby residences) won't be affected,” Heenan told the councillors during the meeting. She’ said that condominiums are sold on the basis of their view, light and impression of space. Tim Clark, manager of V-1500 Holdings Inc. said she was surprised at the residents’ dismay. “It's a 100% improvement over what's there now,” she told the News on Wednesday. “It's going to be a very beautiful project.” According to Clark, the building is over-height because it’s set on a slope. The variance was need- ed to accommodate the highest corner of the “penthouse,” a much smaller fourth floor. “The major part of the building is three storeys,” she said, “We could have legally built thar three storeys and we could have extended the building to the back Jane.” Instead, said Clark, the developer was trying to accommodate the sensitivity of the residents behind the building when they designed it to be higher and thinner. Heenan doesn’t agree. She said it would be more amiable to have the building shorter and closer to The Library. “We wouldn't be so much dwarfed,” she said. Graphic Bert Mereios THE plans for a new office buiiding at Eighth and Lonsdale have nearby residents, furning. “To say that because it’s a slope they should be.. allowed to add an extra 18 feet is ludicrous,” she said. _ The residents are also upset because the devel- * ‘oper approached council again after the public meeting and before the vote on the permit. V- 1500 Holdings Inc. offered $30,000 toward a pedestrian traffic light at the intersection of Tonsdale and Eighth Street. “Perhaps it was naive but we didn’t think there would be another chance to address council,” Heenan said. None of the: residents was present” on Tuesday night when Clark spoke to council again. Coun. John Braithwaite agreed that it was unfair, “The residents should have been notitied on Tuesday that the development would be explained. The facts were not clear on Monday night.” Humphreys runs for WV mayor By lan Noble News Reporter WEST Vancouver octogenarian Derrick Humphreys declared himself a mayoral candi- date for the upscale municipality Wednesday. Humphreys, a four-term mayor who was bounced in the 1986 municipal elections, had worked out a deal with current. Mayor Mark Sager. The agreement called for Humphreys to run if Sager doesn’t. Humphreys jumped into the race two days after meet- ing with Sager, But Humphreys said he doesn’t know if Sager will run. Sager originally said he would make his decision public Sept. 1. He returned from China Sunday to attend Monday's council meeting, On Tuesday morning, he went on a family vacation, if Saver steps down, Humphreys, meanwhile, was at neetions to the area. Coun. Pat Boname has also said she will run for mayor Monday's council meeting, urging council to ea; tore and make public the agreement addressing the 50-year lease given to Cypress Bowl Recreations in 1984 by the Socred government. ‘The provincial government has proposed spending $2 million to extend West Vancouver sewer and water con- * fj WEST UV ancouver mayoral hopetui Derrick Humphreys.