Man guilty of assault at college
Donald Perry Joe to be sentenced in April so he can finish his program
A Holland College student will be sentenced in April after assaulting a woman who got away by pulling a fire alarm in a residence.
Donald Perry Joe, 19, appeared before Chief Judge Jeff Lantz in provincial court in Charlottetown where he pleaded guilty to one count of assault.
Crown attorney Jeff MacDonald told the court that on Sept. 23 at around 5:45 p.m., Joe was with a woman in a Holland College residence where they were arguing.
MacDonald said the woman tried to leave and Joe grabbed her dress, pulling until it almost fell off.
The court heard Joe later held the victim with his arm on her neck and she managed to pull the fire alarm as she tried to get away.
MacDonald said the assault was caught on video, and Holland College provided Joe with a place to stay in a different building after the incident.
Defence lawyer Alex Dalton said Joe was in P.E.I. on a student visa and she asked to have the sentencing adjourned until after he completes his program because the conviction may have an impact on his immigration status.
The Guardian contacted Holland College about Joe’s status at the school and the college’s policies when someone commits an assault on campus.
A spokeswoman for the college said it couldn’t comment on specific cases due to the school’s privacy policies.
She also said the incident is covered under Holland College’s student code of conduct, and complaints are forwarded to the director of facilities for investigation.
Violations of the student code of conduct are considered to be misconduct.
Possible penalties for student misconduct include disciplinary probation, disciplinary suspension and dismissal from the college.
Joe is scheduled to be back in court April 28 for sentencing.