Guilty verdicts read at N.B. vigilante justice trial
Last Updated: Saturday, November 18, 2006 | 1:03 PM AT
CBC News
A jury handed down guilty verdicts Saturday against four of five men charged in connection with a riot that included the burning of a house on Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick.
The defence had argued the men were defending themselves and their community in July when they fired gunshots, beat a man they accused of drug dealing and set his home ablaze.
The house was burned to the ground. The house was burned to the ground.
(CBC)
Jurors had asked several questions about the issue of self-defence.
Two of the defendants facing the most serious charge of arson were taken into custody to await sentencing, while the other three were released.
The nine women and three men on the jury made up their minds shortly after continuing a second day of deliberations in St. Andrews.
They delivered the verdicts to an emotionally charged courtroom, where wives and girlfriends of the accused wept openly upon hearing the news. At one point, the judge warned people to remain calm.
Continue Article
<A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh=v8/34a1/3/0/%2a/v%3B58358586%3B0-0%3B0%3B11710720%3B4307-300/250%3B19089315/19107210/1%3B%3B%7Esscs%3D%3fhttp://www.ubs.com/1/e/canada/national3.html"><IMG SRC="http://m.2mdn.net/1332970/Control_300x250_National.gif" BORDER=0></A>
Firefighters had described in court how they arrived to a mob scene at the home of Ronald Ross and said some in the crowd stood in their way by forming a human chain around the burning building.
Prosecutors had told jurors that despite their opinions of the man whose home was destroyed on the night of July 21 and the early morning hours of July 22, islanders from the community of 2,600 had no right to bypass the criminal justice system.
Ross, who now lives in Digby, N.S., had testified that he wasn't running a crack cocaine house, as his attackers suggested.
He admitted to occasionally using the drug, but insisted he did not produce or sell the crack to others.
10 comments:
While I agree with the verdict, unless any of the guilty had previous criminal records, I suspect they're unlikley to reoffend. I don't expect a jail sentence unless they had a previous criminal history.
I'm happy you got the story out before the mainstream media.
You can thank Sean for this one. It was to nice outside for me to stay on the computer waiting for the verdict.
The Irving papers will come out with the story on Monday.
This is what is so good about blogging. News happens and it's on the information Highway in minutes.
Good work Sean!!!!
So what miracle did you perform by copying the story from the CBC site?
I miss Sean O
Good job cut and paste job Charles. It seems if it wasn't for you some people in here would have never known about this verdict. Isn't that a scary thought.
Sean WHO Charles ?
It's not the Chap we both know in Saint John.
No offence meant Charles, can you be more specific when you use first names of People please, as to avoid any possible Indentity Confusion, that's all.
"I'm happy you got the story out before the mainstream media."
If you didn't read it before, Charles got the story from CBC.ca (he faitfuly included their byline.)
You can claim blogging tells stories that are not told, but using the Grand Manan story is certainly not a good example.
Every network was over it. (CBC Newsworld and CTV NewsNet broke in with the verdict). it's a case being followed closely across the country and not just here in new brunswick.
If Ross has now moved out to Digby Nova Scotia: Grand Mananers stood up for what is right for them, their message was clear, and he heard it for his own good, good riddance !!!
I might retire there some day. Good people that value life, care for their children and community obviously live there.
p.s.: Illegal drugs and alcohol abuse are destroying individuals, families, communities and are killing people. On the main land we watch, on Grand Manan, they fight back ! Cudos !
I do not agree with the verdict. But do I know perverts and rapists get off easy. Killers also get off alot and drunk drivers are usually forgiven. This was a crime of passion and people might of lost it a bit and fear and sleepless night for your family and community would make you do strange things that any ordinary person would never do. The judge needs not put them away. The drug pushers and dealers get alot more breaks then good people who may of took justice a little further then intended; where is the police when you need them they just did not help the Grand Manan people. The punish should not be servere because that will make the drug happy and more confident and cocky.
Society has some guilt to accept in this case. THey need forgiveness and maybe some kind a program to educate and inform what they should do next time. Thankfully no lives loss in this fire but lives were lost with the drugs. Wakeup and face reality these families are living each day. God Bless them!
Post a Comment