Island man who started string of cottage fires in 2023 to be sentenced in May
Crown, defence vary widely on sentencing recommendations for Dakota Ellis
Crown and defence lawyers made their sentencing arguments in a P.E.I. courtroom Friday for a man who was behind a string of fires that destroyed cottages and damaged homes in 2023.
Some of the victims also spoke about how they were affected by the crimes committed by Dakota Ellis.
Last May, the Donaldston man pleaded guilty to a number of charges related to arson as well as breaking and entering to commit an indictable offence. Ellis was 19 at the time of the incidents.
Three cottages were destroyed in Donaldston, Stanhope and Scotchfort. A home and a lifeguard hut in Prince Edward Island National Park were also damaged.
Joanne Cook inherited her cottage from her parents, and told the court Friday that what was lost in the fire can't be replaced.
She said she doesn't know if she can afford to rebuild — and even if she could, she's not sure she'd ever feel safe there again.
Another woman whose home was damaged told the court she's lived in fear every day since the incidents because Ellis has not been in custody.
Another family had a statement read in court on their behalf. They said they had planned to make memories in their cottage and the loss of that dream is what's hit them the hardest.
But they said they forgive Ellis and hope he turns his life around.
Ellis declined to speak in court on Friday.
Crown, defence differ on sentencing
According to a portion of the agreed statement of facts read out in the Charlottetown courtroom last year, Ellis broke into two cottages in Donaldston and one in Stanhope on Nov. 24 and 25, 2023, and used some type of fuel to start the fires.
Also on Nov. 25, a homeowner on Afton Road in Scotchfort reported an odour of diesel and the presence of soot outside their house. There was no serious damage to the property.
On Nov. 26, a lifeguard station in the Stanhope Beach area was vandalized, and authorities found soot and traces of an accelerant at the scene.
Ellis and a youth who can't be named because of the Youth Criminal Justice Act were eventually arrested by P.E.I. RCMP.
Ellis later told police he didn't like a young person who lived in one of the houses he targeted.
The Crown asked for Ellis to be sentenced to a total of four years and six months, saying the crimes have had a significant impact on the victims. They argued that he already had a criminal record at the time of the offences and made a conscious decision to set the fires. If the crime is considered an arson spree, the Crown wants a six- to seven-year global sentence.
The defence attorney is asking for 12 months in custody, saying Ellis has a history of mental illness and rehabilitation is important.
Justice Gregory Cann said he wants to take time to review the material. Ellis will wear an electronic monitoring device in the meantime.
The case was adjourned until May 13 for sentencing.
With files from Sheehan Desjardins