A local man will serve another seven years in prison after being sentenced in relation to a bank robbery and hostage-taking in August 2015.
Jason James Allison, 35, was sentenced Thursday in Abbotsford provincial court on four charges – break-and-enter on Aug. 15, 2015 in Abbotsford and hostage-taking and two counts of robbery on Aug. 21, 2015 in Mission.
Two other charges – forcible confinement and another count of break-and-enter from Aug. 21, 2015 – were stayed.
Allison’s total sentence was nine years, but he was given almost two years’ credit for the time he has served in custody since his arrest.
He pleaded guilty to the four charges last October.
Allison was arrested shortly after the Aug. 21, 2015 incident, which began at about 1 p.m. that day, when he entered the Scotiabank on First Avenue in downtown Mission.
He demanded money and indicated that he had an explosive device. He then fled from the bank with a small amount of cash, leaving behind the bag he had been carrying.
The area was evacuated, the RCMP explosive disposal unit was called to the scene, and a bomb removal robot was deployed.
It was determined that the bag did not contain an explosive device.
At approximately 9:30 p.m. the same day, Mission RCMP officers on patrol saw Allison, who matched the description of the suspect from the bank robbery.
When officers attempted to speak with him, he ran away and forced his way into a residence on Fleming Avenue.
He held hostage the lone female occupant in the residence and refused to surrender. The Lower Mainland Integrated Emergency Response Team was called to assist, after the woman was able to call her daughter and tell her to get help.
Allison released the woman unharmed at about 4 a.m. the following morning.
He surrendered to police two hours later and was taken into custody.
At the time, Allison was wanted on an outstanding Canada-wide warrant for breach of parole and had 85 previous criminal convictions.
The Abbotsford charge relates to Allison breaking into a house and stealing several items. Blood discovered at the scene was eventually identified as his.