During the last months of 2023, Station Mall was the centre of it all for Thomas Agawa.
He repeatedly showed up at the LCBO located at the waterfront shopping centre — two places on a list of local businesses where his presence was verboten.
The 33-year-old wasn't just unwelcome, he was banned by the courts from going there and to a number of other places in Sault Ste. Marie.
Last week, Agawa appeared in a local courtroom where he pleaded guilty to 22 charges — the majority of which involved thefts from the downtown liquor store and his repeated breaches of court orders designed to keep him away from the mall.
The offences occurred between Sept. 25 and Dec. 9 of last year.
He admitted helping himself to bottles of booze from that liquor outlet on five occasions, and twice from the Second West LCBO.
His guilty pleas also included nine counts of violating probation and other orders by going to the Bay Street mall.
Ontario Court Justice John Condon heard he walked out of the mall liquor store without paying for three bottles of Smirnoff vodka, valued at approximately $100, on Sept. 25.
Agawa did the same thing on Oct. 4, absconding with two bottles of vodka worth $78, assistant Crown attorney Adrianna Mucciarelli said.
On Oct. 15, he made off with a $32 bottle of Absolut vodka.
Six days later, he did his shoplifting at the Second Line West store, leaving without bothering to pay for two bottles of liquor valued at $50.
Agawa returned to the mall outlet on Oct. 25, where he walked away with two bottles of vodka. The total price tag this time was $125.
On Nov. 3, he stole two bottles of vodka, with a total price tag of $55, from the Second Line outlet.
In between all these offences, the accused stopped by Canadian Tire on Oct. 23, where security nabbed him trying to leave without paying for $150 worth of merchandise.
The Cambrian Mall store was on the list of businesses that he had been ordered to stay away from, court heard.
On Nov. 27, he pilfered numerous chocolate and candy items, totalling $44, from Shoppers Drug Mart.
On Dec. 9, police caught up with him after he stole $7.25 worth of chips and chocolate bars from the Quattro Hotel and Conference Centre.
The judge agreed with the Crown and defence's proposed sentence of eight months in jail.
Agawa has a "very lengthy record" dating back to 2010 with related offences, including thefts and failing to comply with court orders, Mucciarelli said.
He's received numerous sentences, but despite that he continues to come back to court.
"These businesses have a right not to have Mr. Agawa coming to their establishments over and over again and stealing," the assistant Crown attorney said.
His pleas clean up 13 of his files, a show of remorse that also saves court time.
"Considering his record, eight months is lenient," she told Condon.
Defece lawyer Eric McCooeye said his client hadn't been able to access social services, had no residence and lived on the street.
Agawa has had a difficult time in custody, but has been working on his release and will be living with his father.
The proposed sentence is appropriate and should be accepted by the court, McCooeye suggested.
"It's hard to imagine 13 trials" for these offences, he added.
With the credit Condon gave him for his pre-sentence custody, Agawa faced a further 25 days behind bars.