Corey Baker's "bizarre, scary and threatening" behaviour terrorized people at a Sault Ste. Marie bank on a Friday morning in February.
Just minutes after the RBC Royal Bank on Great Northern Road opened its doors to customers on Feb 16, city police were contacted about a man who refused to leave, was making threats and damaging property.
He had been waiting outside for the bank to open, a judge heard Monday.
When he entered the building, Baker walked over to a teller, and yelled "This is a bank robbery," prosecutor Andrew Allen said.
"I have three bombs and l'll blow everything up."
He ordered everyone to leave the building, the Crown told Ontario Court Justice Romuald Kwolek.
After pulling a fire alarm, Baker began smashing computer monitors with a truncheon and one of the screens struck an employee.
Baker, 47, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, assault and mischief when he appeared in a local courtroom, via zoom, from the Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre.
He also was convicted of mischief for damaging a window at the Community Resource Centre on Jan. 15.
When police arrived at the bank there were a number of people outside, and some staff had barricaded themselves in other rooms in the building, Allen said.
The assistant Crown attorney showed the court portions of a video detailing what had occurred that morning.
Baker was compliant when officers entered the bank and arrested him.
He didn't have any explosive devices.
When the cops were transporting him to the police station he threatened to burn down two local social services buildings.
The Crown called for a three-year penitentiary term.
Referring to seven victim impact statements from employees, Allen said the accused's actions had a significant effect on people in the financial institution that day.
Bank tellers are in a vulnerable position, and this was "an extremely serious attempt at a bank robbery," he told Kwolek.
Baker has some mental health issues but "there is no expert evidence on how this impacted him at the time of the offences."
With credit for the time he has spent in pre-sentence custody there would be two years left to serve in a federal prison.
Baker, who was representing himself, told the judge he hasn't been fully diagnosed.
He asked if he could be sentenced to a provincial facility, suggesting two places that "could help me."
As well, he said he wanted to apologize to everybody. "I'm really sorry."
When he imposed sentence, Kwolek described the accused's behaviour that day as "bizarre, scary and threatening."
After making threats about a bomb, saying this is a robbery, and damaging property, Baker waited inside until the cops arrived.
"He didn't appear to search for any money, didn't take any money and waited for police."
While his guilty plea saved precious court time, and spared the victims the fear of testifying, Kwolek cited a number of aggravating factors.
These are terrible threatening offences involving violence that had a great impact on the seven people, who provided the victim impact statements, he said.
His actions didn't just affect them, but also affects the community and causes fear.
The judge also noted Baker has significant mental health conditions, an extensive substance abuse history and a criminal record.
Kwolek sentenced him to 30 months jail, which means he faces nearly 23 more months behind bars in a provincial facility.
He told Baker he was only doing this because he could also impose the maximum three years probation, which results in a longer period of supervision than what the Crown was seeking.
During his probation, Baker must stay away from the RBC branch on Great Northern Road, can have no contact with the victims and must take any recommended counselling.
Kwolek also recommended that he serve his jail time at a facility where he can receive treatment for mental health issues.