Carlton Park Suites is located in the 1200 block of 28th St. E. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court Proceedings

‘Your actions are without excuse,’ judge scolds home invader

Mar 19, 2020 | 2:00 PM

A man who entered a strangers’s home and assaulted a woman in front of her three young children will not serve jail time.

Aiden Bates, 21, was sentenced Wednesday afternoon at Prince Albert Provincial Court and received a three month conditional sentence order (CSO) for assault and unlawfully being in a residence. The incident took place on the evening of Dec. 9, 2019 at Carlton Park Suites.

During a previous interview with paNOW, the victim, Reina Morin, described how she found a stranger at her door, wearing only his underwear. When she told him to leave, Bates shoved her against the door frame and threatened to kill her.

“You could easily be going to the pen, you probably should be” _{– Judge Healey}

While this was going on, Morin’s three young children were in the home, and her 10-year-old son ran for help. According to the statement of facts read by Crown lawyer Andréanne Dubé, Bates managed to grab the boy’s hair, but the boy was able to escape.

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Moments later Bates fled but was arrested by police in the lobby area of the apartment building. The sentence was a joint submission by the Crown and defence lawyers, and was quickly questioned by Judge T. Healey, who asked what the range of the sentence given, in this case, the physical and emotional harm caused to the family.

Defence lawyer Garth Bendig explained Bates had no criminal record and had attended treatment for his addictions. As well Bates had not breached any of his bail conditions.

Bendig also explained Bates was very remorseful for his actions, and how he had no recollection of his actions.

Over the course of the weekend, Bates had been on binge involving both narcotics and alcohol. On the day of Dec. 9, Bates was drinking with a friend at the apartment building.

“Your actions are without excuse,” Healey said. “You could easily be going to the pen, you probably should be.”

Dubé interjected and said Morin was made aware of the sentence and said she was “satisfied” with it. She also explained how Morin did not wish to provide a victim impact statement but had expressed how traumatized she was, even moving out of fear Bates may return.

Citing great reluctance Healey agreed to the CSO and also imposed a 12 month probation period. Among the conditions Bates must abstain by are abstaining from drugs and alcohol, following a curfew, no contact with the victims, and he must also write a formal letter of apology, which will be submitted to the probation officer.

“They will deliver it not you,” Healey instructed.

Several members of Bates’s family were in court for the hearing Wednesday to show their support for him.

–

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell