Man who barricaded himself in government office avoids jail
Brian Higgins | CBC News | Posted: June 13, 2016 2:13 PM | Last Updated: June 13, 2016
'I hadn't eaten in four days. I was hungry.'
The man who walked into a welfare office and barricaded himself inside with a knife was sentenced Monday to 18 months probation.
Howard Joseph Dalton had pleaded guilty to mischief in the March 1 incident in a provincial social services office at the Sherwood Business Centre in Charlottetown.
"I hadn't eaten in four days ... I was hungry," Dalton told provincial court Judge John Douglas before the sentence was handed down.
"When the police came, I knew right away what I did was wrong."
Dalton entered the offices at 4:30 p.m. March 1 with what was described as a kitchen steak knife, according to an agreed statement of facts read in court Monday by Crown prosecutor Lisa Goulden.
"He handed a staff member a hand-written note" in which he threatened to harm himself, Goulden told the court.
Tasers were not effective
Charlottetown police responded after a staff person called 911.
Officers discharged Tasers at Dalton, but "they were not effective, due to clothing issues," Goulden said.
Dalton then barricaded himself in a washroom and a four-hour stand-off with Charlottetown police ensued, during which time crisis management officers talked with him.
Living on $270 a month
Defence lawyer Thane MacEachern told court Dalton acted out of desperation.
MacEachern told court Dalton had received a welfare cheque, but claimed his bank refused to cash it because he lacked proper ID.
Dalton did not have the $70 needed to buy new government ID.
"He was living on $270 a month, after rent was taken off his welfare cheque," MacEachern told court.
Dalton claims to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder.
He choked back tears as he stood to speak before sentencing.
"I have no ill feelings to the government," he said.
"People on P.E.I. are lucky to have the social services we do. But the system is holding people back."
'More of a mental health issue'
Court heard a local advocacy group for disabled people has provided Dalton with funds to obtain proper ID to cash his welfare cheques.
In addition to 18 months' probation, the judge ordered Dalton to perform 50 hours of community service and to pay a $100 victims-of-crime surcharge.
"This seems serious for P.E.I," Douglas said in handing down sentence, "but it seems more of a mental health issue."
Douglas ordered Dalton to get counseling as directed by probation staff, and to stay away from the office where the incident occurred.
Dalton is prohibited from possessing weapons for five years and was ordered to provide a DNA sample to police.
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