Violent criminal gets four years for two knifepoint robberies

A man who held up two Yellowknife businesses at knife-point overnight had a criminal record with 53 entries – including 12 involving violence.

Zander Sydney-Firth now has two more convictions with violence after being sentenced late last month in NWT Supreme Court to four years in custody, followed by probation for two years, for the 2024 armed robberies of Circle K on Franklin Avenue and Bruno’s Pizza on 52^nd Avenue.

The RCMP stated in a January 7^th release: “This sentence represents an appropriate judgement in these serious matters. The RCMP expresses its gratitude to the court as well as the members of the public and media who assisted in locating the accused.”

Sydney-Firth, originally from Inuvik, in 2021 received a sentence of three-and-a-half years for setting fire to his then-partner’s apartment in Whitehorse in January 2021.

Then 22, he pleaded guilty to arson causing bodily harm, violating a release order, being unlawfully in a dwelling, and assault.

His partner and her friend sustained severe burns and smoke inhalation, needing extensive medical care. Two apartment units were destroyed.

Following his jail time, he was to serve two years of probation with specific conditions.

CBC North in Yukon reporter at the time, the friend who was stuck in the window in a victim impact statement said he still suffered from shortness of breath and burn scars.

He also said that as an Indigenous person, fire held great spiritual meaning for him: it was a “place of peace,” a tool and something intertwined with stories and memories, reported CBC.

“Zander stole this from me and now my relationship with fire has fear and anxiety attached to it,” he said.

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The elderly resident of the other unit that was destroyed lost most of her possessions, and said in her victim impact statement that she had trouble sleeping and eating for weeks. She also said the stress of the situation caused her dog, whom she relied on for emotional support, to die.

In Yellowknife on February 13, 2024, Sydney-Firth entered the Circle K store and gas bar at 3 am.

NWT Supreme Court heard that once inside, he walked around the counter to the employee only area by the cash register.

He then produced a knife and threatened the store worker, forcing him to open the cash register. He then grabbed money and fled.

Responding RCMP officers observed footprints in the snow and followed these footprints from the store to a front door in nearby Lanky Court.

The officers knocked on the door. A female answered, saying that no one recently arrived in the residence. Later that afternoon, officers returned to the Lanky Court area in an unmarked police cruiser to conduct community inquiries.

On arrival, a male exited the address in question, requested a lighter, and was informed by the officers that they did they did not have one.

The male then returned to the address under surveillance. The same male answered and identified himself as Tyler Carmichael, and said that he had just arrived to babysit for his sister.

Upon returning to the detachment, officers searched the police database for the name Tyler Carmichael. A photo came up showing the man they interacted with: Sydney-Firth.

The following night, February 14, 2024, at 2:48 am, Sydney-Firth entered Bruno’s pizza and walked around the counter, when he produced a knife and gestured it threateningly at employees.

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The workers fought back and threw chairs and others items from the restaurant at Sydney-Firth, who was attempting to access the cash register.

Sydney-Firth eventually gave up trying to access the cash register and instead grabbed a carton of cigarettes and ran off towards the apartment building directly across the street.

One of the workers suffered superficial cuts in the robbery and was treated at hospital.

RCMP issued a media release containing image of the suspect along with the request of the public to provide information.

A security guard at Sunridge Apartments recognized a man who had entered the block as resembling the person in the media release.

Sydney-Firth was arrested.