Vigilante justice not allowed: judge

A P.E.I. man who forced his way into an apartment and assaulted a resident while the victim’s children were home was sentenced recently to more than one year in jail.

Andrew Scott Morrison, 31, appeared before Chief Judge Nancy Orr in provincial court in Charlottetown where he pleaded guilty to four charges including break and enter and committing assault.

Morrison also pleaded guilty to a separate assault, breaching his probation and failing to attend court.

The court heard Morrison went to the first assault victim’s apartment and forced his way in before assaulting the man.

Orr said it was an aggravating factor that the victim’s children were in the apartment at the time. With the second assault, Orr said Morrison knocked that victim unconscious.

Morrison also failed to attend court on an earlier date and he breached his probation by not completing 15 hours of community service.

Orr said the break and enter and assault were planned with Morrison bringing someone along with him so he wouldn’t hurt the victim too bad.

A victim impact statement showed Morrison’s actions left the children traumatized, Orr said.

Orr said Morrison went to the apartment because he believed there were problems between the victim and another person. Morrison had no obligation or right to go over and teach the victim a lesson, Orr said.

“We do not live in a society where vigilante justice is allowed.”

In total, Orr sentenced Morrison to 415 days in jail on the four charges and gave him credit of 53 days for time spent in custody. Morrison must pay $500 in victim surcharges and will be on probation for three years. He must provide a DNA sample for the national databank and will be under a 10-year weapons prohibition. Morrison is banned from contacting the victims during his probation unless he has his probation officer’s consent.