Notorious Halifax robber Jermaine Carvery sentenced

A Halifax man serving alengthy sentence for robberies in Toronto has been sentenced to an additional 25 years for four violent armed robberies in Nova Scotia.

Jermaine Carvery, 34,pleaded guilty last fallto confining more than 40 employees at Costco in Halifax, as well as several people at TRA Atlantic Cash & Carry in Truro and Chrissy's Trading Post in Hammonds Plains eight years ago.

One of Carvery's victims, who had a gun held to his head during the Costco robbery in 2004, spoke to reporters following the sentencing. He asked not to be named.

"This is a difficult moment," he said.

"When you show up for work and there's a gun held to your head it's the most mundane thing a person goes through, showing up for work, so I expect any single mundane moment now to erupt into violence. I cant walk down the street, or go to a movie, or do anything without expecting it to erupt into violence."

"He views himself as a modern-day Robin Hood without the giving to the poor component," said Justice Kevin Coady during Monday's sentencing.

"Mr. Carvery's only remorse was being busted."

Coady said Carvery would have been sentenced to serve 76 years if he hadn't used the totality principle. As it is, Carvery will be 75 when this sentence expires, if he never receives parole.

The earliest he can begin applying for parole is in about four years.

But Coady said, given his record and his apparent lack ofrepentance, he's likely to spend a lot more time in prison.

Escaped in the past

The Crown had said it would seek a life sentence for the well-known escape artist.

Carvery is perhaps best known for escaping custody in April 2008.

Correctional workers were escorting him from the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Centre in Burnside to a medical appointment to have a tooth extracted at the Victoria General Hospital.

Carverysomehow managed to slip out of his leg shackles while being transported and ran awayfrom correctional workers when their vehicle got to the hospital.

He wason the lam for months before being recapturedin Niagara Falls, Ont.

He is currently serving time in Renous, N.B.