Boy torches trailer in East Prairie

Chris Clegg
South Peace News

An East Prairie boy who claimed he accidentally burned a trailer at the East Prairie Metis Settlement has paid for his crime. The boy pleaded guilty in High Prairie youth court Sept. 15 to break and enter, commit mischief. Crown prosecutor Cameron Jose told youth court the boy, 15, whose name cannot be released because of provisions in the Youth Criminal Justice Act, entered an abandoned trailer. “He was there,” said Jose. “He admitted he entered the trailer and set a curtain on fire.” The boy departed after he thought the curtain was no longer on fire. However, the curtain flared, started the trailer on fire and destroyed it. Value of the trailer was estimated at $3,500-$5,000. Jose suggested a “significant” amount of community service work hours as penalty. Duty counsel lawyer Ivan Ladouceur appeared in youth court to speak for the boy. “It was an old, abandoned trailer. No one was there.” Ladouceur added the trailer was a mess and used only by men working in the region. Judge E.J. Simpson told the boy the Crown was being generous in its penalty suggestion. Similar cases called for prison time, he added. The boy was placed on probation for 18 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of community service work. He was also ordered to abstain from drugs and alcohol and ordered to abide by a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew.

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