Friday, August 14, 2009

Man Squandered Nearly $1M

Canada - A "calculating and callous" Ottawa man found guilty of putting the life of an elderly man at risk by allowing him to live in squalor received a precedent-setting jail sentence Tuesday.

Calling Daniel Jacques Chartrand's conduct a "clear case of serious elder abuse," Ontario Superior Court Justice Denis Power sentenced the 39-year-old to 12 months behind bars, believed to be the stiffest penalty handed down to someone convicted of failing to provide the necessities of life to an elderly person.

However, after receiving credit for time already served in custody, Chartrand will only have 87 days of the sentence left to serve.

Chartrand was found guilty in April following a 12-day trial that heard evidence of how he left 76-year-old retired federal public servant Harry Matthews to wallow in his own feces while squandering nearly $1 million of the man's assets on luxury cars and travel abroad.

In his decision, Power said he was "restrained" from giving Chartrand more time for the crime because of legal precedent set out in similar cases and sentencing principles laid out in law.

Full Article and Source:
Elder abuse: Ottawa caregiver leaves retiree in squalor, squanders $1M and nets 12 months in jail

6 comments:

  1. Only 12 months is an OUTRAGE!

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  2. 12 months? That's it?

    I remember as a child hearing: Crime Doesn't Pay

    Well, that was decades ago and we all learned just how many people out there are driven by greed.

    Although this is international news, this type of lenient punishment just might let other financial predators believe that doing what Daniel Jacques Chartrand did is worth taking that risk.

    Sad day for society.

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  3. 12 months is a stiff penalty? Come on, Canada, that's embarrassing.

    Daniel Jacques Chartrand should be spending years in the big house -- years!

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  4. Guardianship abuse will grow in Canada because of "nothing" penalties like this.

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  5. The "stiffest penalty" isn't very stiff.

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  6. Daniel Jacques Chartrand, My old step dad, he did more then abuse the 76 year old man. He abused me, as well as my mom. Raping her, hitting me at the age of 13 and 14, and threatening to touch me. Horrible man, and if i ever see him again, im knocking his ass out.

    Ryan Shank

    ReplyDelete