Convicted rapist Matthew Percy gets day parole

A man convicted of sexually assaulting three women in the Halifax area has been granted day parole.

Matthew Albert Percy, 41, was serving a sentence of seven years, seven months for a series of sexual assaults dating back to 2013.

In two of the cases, Percy met young women in the bar district in downtown Halifax, then accompanied them to residences elsewhere in the city, where the assaults took place.

In the third incident he was convicted for, Percy and the woman were friends and he assaulted her after they had spent the evening together in her home. While that assault happened in 2013, the woman didn't go to police until 2018, after she heard of the other cases against him.

A fourth woman also accused Percy of sexual assault but he was acquitted in that case.

Percy was working as a groundskeeper at Saint Mary's University in Halifax when the first charges were laid. Evidence at the trials showed the assaults were aggressive and the victims were impaired by alcohol. 

'Poor choices'

In two of the cases, Percy used his cellphone to take videos of his victims. The women were unaware of the recordings until they were contacted by police.

"When asked by the board why you felt assaulting women was acceptable, you stated that you made poor choices and were looking for self-gratification," the parole board noted.

"Your drinking was out of control and past associates led you to focus on the wrong things."

When confronted with a psychological report that he was a high risk to re-offend, Percy told the board he didn't dispute that finding, but he was going to work to ensure it didn't happen.

Percy has been granted six months of day parole, to be served in a halfway house. As is usual in these cases, the board won't say where that facility is located.

Because his offences involved alcohol, Percy must stay away from bars and abstain from alcohol. He also must report all relationships with women.