GUELPH – Justin Beal could face anywhere from 18 months to two years less a day in prison for committing a string of arsons in Wellington County between September 2016 and August 2017.
The Rockwood man arrived an hour late for his pre-sentencing hearing in Guelph Superior Court on Feb. 27, claiming heavy snow clogged his driveway.
Justice Bruce Durno allowed the procedure to continue but wasn’t happy the delay would clog the rest of the court day.
Beal was found guilty of five counts of arson in a Brampton courthouse in December. He had previously pleaded not guilty to seven counts.
Some 27 fires – mostly to abandoned structures – had been reported in the county during the year-long period.
Crown Attorney Judith MacDonald called for a sentence of two years less a day, plus three years’ probation with the proviso that Beal attend counselling, observe a curfew from 10pm to 6am, and not possess incendiary devices like lighters and matches.
She asked for a DNA order – where bodily fluid (blood or saliva) is taken and stored to create a DNA profile. And she asked that Beal pay restitution to two of his victims, totalling $45,000, to cover the clean-up costs they incurred from the fires.
She referred to victim impact statements that were not read out in court. One, from Guelph-Eramosa Mayor Chris White, stated that the entire community was stressed and on high alert during the period when the fires were being set, she said.
Deputy Fire Chief James Petrik said it’s a volunteer fire fighter force in the county and these people put their lives on the line at every one of these fires they fought.
Two of the victims expressed concern “that the accused is walking around the streets,” MacDonald said.
She said the sentence is appropriate based on the number of fires, the extended period of time involved and the lack of regard for human life.
Beal’s lawyer, Robbie Tsang, provided letters of support from family, neighbours and his employer. These were not read out in court either, but Tsang said they show that Beal “can be selfless and would help his neighbour.”
Tsang said Beal has ADHD, ADD and Tourette syndrome. He said Beal has been working since his teens and doesn’t rely on social assistance. His income helps supplement his mother’s dog breeding business and it will be a hardship for her while he’s incarcerated, said Tsang.
He drew on three other arson cases and their sentences to explain why he was seeking 18 months for Beal.
Those cases – Wilson, Barton and Norstrom – received 10 to 12 years in jail, which amounts to six months per count. In those cases, fires were set in homes that were occupied and people were sleeping inside. Tsang said an 18-month sentence for five counts of arson works out to four months per count and is appropriate for Beal.
“Arson is always a serious offense,” Tsang said. “But here the fires were set in abandoned buildings. That’s the distinguishing feature for Mr. Beal.”
Beal is to return to Superior Court on March 26 for sentencing.
