James Bolan, Jarrett Jocko and Gilbert Ryan Wilson pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on a victim described as a “drug addict.”
Three local men are being held at a prison for a “horrible” revenge attack three years ago against a drug control officer – violence that the judge described as “vigilant justice”.
The actions of the trio on the morning of May 16, 2019 were planned and premeditated,
Superior Court Judge Edward Gareau said Wednesday when he imposed prison sentences.
Victim Donald Laroue was severely beaten and “essentially pronounced dead” in the attack on a James Street apartment.
His injuries were “serious, extensive and long-lasting,” the judge noted.
What the three criminals did to the victim, who was not much loved, was “premeditated violence fueled by vigilance and a desire for revenge,” Gareau said.
James Bolan, Jarrett Jocko and Gilbert Ryan Wilson pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and entering a home with intent to commit a non-fictitious crime on March 30, 2021.
The sentence has been imposed several times due to the difficulties of COVID-19 and to allow the preparation of presence and Gladue reports.
Bolan, 32, Jocko, 37, and Wilson, 32, were each sentenced to seven years in prison, less credit for their time in pretrial detention, aggravated assault, and one year at a time for the second offense. .
With the credit, Bolan has 3.5 more years to serve, while Jocko and Wilson each face 2.4 more years behind bars.
The court heard that city police responded to a call from an injured person to an apartment (above Al’s Corner Pub) at 196 James St. around 10 a.m. that May morning.
Officers found Laroue, who had serious head and body injuries, in Apt. 2.
He did not respond and was taken to Sault Area Hospital in critical condition.
Laroue suffered a traumatic brain injury in the attack and was taken to Subury for treatment.
During their investigation, police obtained video surveillance, recorded by six cameras located throughout the building, including from the outer corridor of the apartment where the assault took place.
The footage provided “a clear, uninterrupted view of the onset and aftermath of the assaults,” but did not capture the attack, Gareau noted in his written sentence decision.
He captured Laroue entering the apartment at 7:25 a.m. with two other people who did not witness the assault.
At 7:47 a.m., the three defendants, who were armed, approached the apartment.
Wilson wore a baseball bat, Bolan had a tire lever or iron, and Jocko had a metal tool.
Bolan and Wilson were dressed in “rabbit suits” (white jumpsuits), while Jocko was wearing street clothes.
They entered the apartment at 7.48am, the assault took place and left about a minute later.
When they left the building at 7:51 a.m., it looked like Wilson and Bolan were carrying the monkeys.
Jocko gave the police an indictment, describing what had happened, but did not identify any other perpetrators.
He said he had hit Laroue twice with a metal poker, hitting him on the back of the shoulder and leg.
Defendant stated that he did not give the first blow and confirmed that someone had hit the victim in the head.
Jocko said he took part in the assault for “revenge” because Laroue had “harassed many people” and had beaten someone at his home two weeks earlier.
Other people who were in the building at the time also made statements.
The court learned that Laroue did not remember the altercation. He said he knew Bolan and Wilson but did not know why they wanted to attack him.
Gareau said the crimes, which involved extreme violence and had a significant impact on the victim’s health and well-being, meant that reporting and deterrence were the main targets of the sentence.
“Clearly, the victim was not well-liked and was taking advantage of vulnerable people who were addicted to drugs,” said the judge, who described Laroue as “a drug control agent who no doubt took advantage of the people “.
While all of this may be true, it provides no excuse for the three men to “extract justice by vigilance or take the law into their own hands,” Gareau said.
He pointed to the remorse and convictions of the offenders as mitigating factors, but said that this should be balanced with the aggravating circumstance of the vigilance of the facts.
“Individuals cannot take the law into their own hands to apply the justice and punishment they deem appropriate,” Gareau wrote.
“A secure society cannot function in this way and the vigilance of this crime must be denounced in the clearest terms.”
Bolan has a long criminal record for nonviolent crimes, and although Wilson has numerous convictions, he has no history of acts of violence.
Jacko’s record reflects acts of violence, including assault and sexual assault.
Gareau ordered the trio to provide samples for the national DNA database and also imposed lifetime weapon bans.