A man found guilty of robbing a golf centre employee in Surrey with a gun, among other crimes, has lost an appeal of his convictions.

Thomas Bert Prins was convicted of seven offences on Sept. 8, 2017. A B.C. Supreme Court judge found him guilty of robbing someone as they left work at a golf centre in Surrey, using a handgun and wearing a balaclava. Prins made off with the victim鈥檚 keys, vehicle, wallet and mobile device.

He also robbed a BC Ferries employee of $20 at the Horseshoe Bay terminal 鈥� again with a gun and wearing a balaclava 鈥� and smashed the front glass door of a gas station in Squamish with a sledgehammer to steal chips, pop and chocolate bars.

Prins was sentenced in March 2018 to seven days in prison and one year probation after being credited for seven years and 11 months pre-sentence custody. He appealed his convictions but the Court of Appeal for British Columbia dismissed them on Jan. 10.

A courtthat during a 鈥淢r. Big鈥� operation Prins led undercover police officers to Stanley Park 鈥� where the Surrey robbery gun was buried 鈥� and told undercover officers he wanted to have someone killed for implicating him in the crimes.

Justices Lauri Ann Fenlon, Joyce DeWitt-Van Oosten and Karen Horsman heard the appeal in Vancouver.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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