One of two men arrested last October after hiding in an outbuilding at a senior citizen’s residence was sentenced to a year on probation Aug. 15.
Andrew Marvin Matte, 34, had been charged with break and enter with intent to commit an offence, but pleaded guilty to the lesser included charge of obstructing, interrupting or interfering with the lawful use, enjoyment or operation of property.
Before noon on Oct. 27, 2024, the woman, who was living alone and recovering from eye surgery, and her neighbour called Prince George RCMP to report two males walking through her garden.
After they were found in an outbuilding, officers ordered them to come out with their hands up. Matte did, but the other man did not. A police dog intervened.
That man, who allegedly possessed a machete, is accused of kicking the police dog in the mouth and breaking a tooth.
Benjamin Eugene Wilson, born in 1991, is in custody and scheduled to appear at a pre-trial conference on Aug. 25.
Matte, a carpenter by trade, is unemployed and on social assistance, but close to achieving red seal certification. His lawyer, David Jenkins Jr., told the court that Matte has struggled with addiction.
“He has, though, done some work on himself to get himself back on track here,” Jenkins said. “He has essentially gone cold turkey from utilizing any illicit substances.”
Judge Martin Nadon suspended passing of a sentence and ordered 12 months probation, encouraging Matte to stay on the path of recovery.
“You've got some skills. It looks like you sort of fell down for a while, but the test in life is not whether you fall down, it's how you get back up again. So it looks like you're in the process of doing that,” Nadon said.
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