Co-accused in P.E.I. jail assault sentenced
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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A P.E.I. man co-accused of assaulting one other inmate on the provincial jail has been sentenced.
Colby Joseph Strickland, 31, pleaded responsible and was sentenced in provincial courtroom in Charlottetown on Jan. 16 for the offence.
On June 7, Strickland was an inmate on the Provincial Correctional Centre, stated Crown lawyer Lisa Goulden. On that day shortly after breakfast, the sufferer, James George Eliopoulos, 21, was adopted into his cell by Strickland and two different inmates and assaulted. Goulden stated two co-accused – Dwayne Maurice Butler, 43, and one other inmate – entered the cell first and punched Eliopoulos, inflicting him to fall to the ground. As Eliopoulos crawled on the ground making an attempt to flee the assault and go away the cell, Strickland kicked him within the abdomen, stated Goulden.
Eliopoulos had an injured shoulder and sore abdomen because of the assault. Eliopoulos was in custody whereas a firearms cost was being handled in courtroom. In August, Eliopoulos obtained a five-month jail sentence for possession of a weapon for a harmful objective.
Strickland’s felony file consists of convictions in Quebec for assaulting a peace officer, assault, lacking courtroom and mischief. In P.E.I. Strickland was sentenced in February 2021 to 2 years much less a day for theft with a weapon, flight from police and harmful driving. Strickland was additionally convicted and sentenced in 2020 for theft of a bike.
Butler was sentenced on Nov. 25 to 5 months in jail for his function within the assault on Eliopoulos. At Butler’s sentencing, Crown lawyer Chris White stated that previous to the assault, Eliopoulos ate a number of the breakfast of one of many co-accused. Strickland and a co-accused have been assaulting Eliopoulos when Butler entered the cell. Butler then began assaulting Eliopoulos as properly. A 3rd co-accused has but to enter a plea on the matter.
Defence lawyer Conor Mullin stated Butler initiated the incident and that his shopper had a lesser diploma of involvement.
Choose Nancy Orr disagreed with Mullin and stated that the information in Butler’s matter decided that he was not the initiator. Even so, provided that Strickland’s felony file will not be as in depth as Butler’s, Mullin requested a sentence lower than the 5 months Butler obtained.
Orr additionally famous that in comparison with Strickland, Butler’s felony file is “considerably longer” and has extra convictions for violent offences.
Orr then sentenced Strickland to a few months in jail for the assault. She famous that jail will not be a “free zone” for inmates to do no matter they need, and if a felony offence is dedicated, there will probably be penalties.
Terrence McEachern is a justice reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He may be reached by e-mail at [email protected] and may be adopted on Twitter @terry_mcn.
