Aggravated assault
R. v. Coaker
Sentence and the Crown's position
What the law allows
Matthew Francis Coaker was found guilty of aggravated assault for his part in an organized group assault on an inmate at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Burnside in December 2019, where he was among those blocking correctional officers from intervening. Others convicted in the same incident had received 4½ to 6 years. Justice Campbell found his involvement at the low end among those convicted and imposed 4 years, less 1,336 days of remand credit, leaving 124 days to serve.
In the judge's words
1In Mr. Coaker’s case, as with the others, several principles are held in tension. He was involved in an organized assault within a jail. Deterrence and denunciation are principles that apply. But those principles cannot be allowed to run away with themselves.
The record
- Convicted of
- Aggravated assault (CC 268)
- Prior convictions
- Not recorded
- At the time of the offence
- Not stated1
- Appeal
- Not yet checked
- Counsel
- Crown: Rick Woodburn and Scott Morrison
Defence: Jonathan Hughes
Sources
- R. v. Coaker, 2022 NSSC 201 Court decision, CanLII, July 21, 2022
Matthew Francis Coaker
[28] In Mr. Coaker’s case, as with the others, several principles are held in tension. He was involved in an organized assault within a jail. Deterrence and denunciation are principles that apply. But those principles cannot be allowed to run away with themselves.
[39] Matthew Coaker is sentenced to 4 years. That would be 1,460 days without regard to leap years. He has been in custody on this charge from February 11, 2020 to July 21, 2022, which is a total of 891 days. Credit for remand should be given at one and a half days for each day served, which is a total of 1,336 days. To complete a 4 year term of imprisonment the calculation would be 1,460 days, less remand credit of 1,336, so the go forward sentence is 124 days.
- Criminal Code, s. 268 Record, Justice Laws Website
- R. v. Coaker, 2022 NSSC 201 Court decision, Courts of Nova Scotia