5 plead guilty in Locke St. vandalism

The so-called ringleader behind the Locke St. riots has been sentenced to eight months behind bars.

Peter Hopperton as well as four others who were part of the mob on Locke St.  back in March all pleaded guilty Thursday. The judge saying it was a crime against people.

Holding a sign reading, “We are the Ungoverables”, a group of masked vandals terrorized Locke St. The Crown says it was a premeditated act of intimidation. The defence calling it “empathy for the working class”.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Peter Hopperton, who also goes by the name “Cedar”, was the organizer. At an anarchist book fair earlier in the day, Hopperton was handing out flyers promoting a “militant and confrontational march” and advising people to “dress appropriately”. The flyers reading “because f*** the rich…Hamilton has been beset upon by a plague of gentrifying yuppies.”

In court, Hopperton plead guilty to mischief over $5,000 and counselling mischief. He was taken into custody Thursday afternoon. Hopperton will spend eight months behind bars and 12 months on probation.

Thirty-two-year-old Tammy Kovich, who is currently a PhD student at York University, also pleaded guilty to mischief. She helped hand out the flyers and was a part of the mob that night. Kovich was sentenced to a nine-month conditional sentence consisting of house arrest and curfew as well as 12 months probation.

Her boyfriend, 31-year-old Matthew Lowell Pelletier, held up one end of a banner as the group marched down the roadway. He will be doing 100 hours of community service and serve 18 months probation. David Prychitka received the same sentence.

Another man, Tyler Nadeau smashed car windows that night. He’s the one who threw the first rock through the window of Donut Monster and Bitten Cupcakes. He will be sentenced on February 5th.

While the defence lawyers kept reiterating that none of the five people who plead guilty hurt anyone, the judge interrupted, saying that while no one was physically injured that night, the innocent people out and about on Locke street were scared and had no idea how far this masked mob would go.

Five victim impact statements as well as a community impact statement had the underlying theme of fear, the judge said.

Hopperton was the only one out of the five people who pleaded guilty who had a previous criminal record. The crown also asked that those involved pay a total of $6,000 that will go to the victims who had to pay insurance deductibles.