Charges dropped in Pride flag vandalism case in Norwich, Ont.
Multiple Pride flags were stolen in Norwich in May 2022
The criminal charges against a Tillsonburg, Ont., man accused of stealing and vandalizing Pride flags have quietly been dropped.
Jacob Dey, a farm supply store owner, was charged in May with theft under $5,000 and mischief to property after multiple rainbow flags installed by the Norwich business improvement association were stolen.
Crown prosecutors withdrew both charges in December, a move that angered those fighting for gay rights in Oxford County, said Tami Murray, the president of Oxford County Pride Committee.
"Extreme disappointment and a little bit of disgust," was how Murray characterized her reaction to finding out from the media that the charges had been dropped. "I don't understand how somebody can commit such a crime, violence toward a marginalized community, admit to that crime, and then the charges not be followed through on."
This past summer, OPP had released images from security camera footage showing a white GMC Sierra pick-up truck, a red tractor and three male suspects dressed in orange safety gear in connection with the investigation.
No criminal record
According to court documents, Dey failed to appear for his first court date in October, being represented instead by a lawyer. He attended the second court hearing in November. The next month, charges were dropped.
The court documents suggest Dey completed a direct accountability program, which allows people with no prior involvement in the justice system to complete some kind of "community-based sanction," including taking responsibility for the actions that led to the charge, in exchange for not getting a criminal record.
The court documents don't say what direct accountability Dey was asked to take.
Possible sanctions include a letter of apology, volunteer work, a charitable donation or attending a conference or seminar.
The May vandalism shook the Oxford County community, and many people spoke out after Dey attended a council meeting and spoke for half an hour. He gave a speech that likened the gay community to a social movement akin to the Nazis in 1930s Germany.
A citizens' group was formed after that meeting with some residents saying they felt let down by council members who did not not cut Dey off from speaking.
The charges being dropped won't deter the work of the Oxford Pride Committee, Murray said.
"The Oxford County Pride Committee is going to continue to push boundaries and support the 2SLGBTQ+ community to ensure that we are all safe to work, play and live in this community and we are not going to back down," she said. "We are going to continue to advocate, educate and do what we need to do for our community."