VANCOUVER - A man who pleaded guilty to identity thefts involving $250,000 has had two months shaved off his 22-month sentence.

Ram Prakash Subhag, a 54-year-old divorced mechanic, appealed the sentence imposed in Surrey provincial court on Nov. 14, 2011 after he pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and two counts attempted theft, all involving banking transactions.

According to a court document, Subhag used ID with his photo but other people's names to obtain bankcards and access his victims' lines of credit. These transactions were all captured on videotape.

Court of Appeal Justice Anne Mackenzie noted that the Crown's delay in laying charges deprived Subhag of getting the double "dead time" credit for the time served that he would have got had he been charged prior to the Tories' Truth in Sentencing Act being amended.

The amendment limits credit for pre-sentence custody to one day for each day in jail for people charged with a crime after Feb. 22, 2010.

tzytaruk@thenownewspaper.com