EDMONTON - An Edmonton gangster has been handed an extended stay behind bars after being busted trying to use his wannabe wiseguy ways on a woman.

Harminder Thiara, 24, was sentenced to 39 months in prison on Friday in provincial court after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including criminal harassment, uttering death threats and attempted obstruction of justice.

Crown prosecutor Christian Lim told court Thiara had been dating Alexandra Walters, but the relationship had ended and she had told him numerous times that she “didn’t want to be his significant other.” Lim said Thiara contacted Walters on April 5 and became upset and told her:

“I’m going to spray your home with bullets.” The prosecutor said Walters then told Thiara that she was staying with a friend and the known gangster replied: “That’s OK. I’ll get your cats.’ At the time, court heard Thiara was under a no-contact order prohibiting him from contacting Walters, and Lim said he breached that order, as well as some court orders stemming from a drug charge that specified he was to abide by a curfew and report to a probation officer.

On April 10, Thiara again made contact with Walters and threatened her by

saying: “Do you want to go for a ride? I’ve got a burner on me.” Lim explained Thiara was a known gang member and the term “burner” refers to gangster slang for a firearm.

On the same day, Thiara also offered Walters $10,000 “to call it even,” which Lim said was a bribe so that she would not testify against him.

Court heard Thiara was arrested on April 11, but continued to harass Walters with phone calls from prison.

Judge Paul Sully gave Thiara 21 months credit for the 10-and-a-half months he spent in pre-trial custody, leaving him with 18 months left to serve. He was also ordered to submit a DNA sample for the national DNA databank.

tony.blais@sunmedia.ca