The ringleader of a November 2024 home invasion that traumatized the victim and destroyed furniture and a television was sentenced May 13 in Prince George provincial court to 657 days time served.
Mason Lee Henry-Larose, 25, pleaded guilty to break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence and assault causing bodily harm. He had spent 438 days in custody and received time-and-a-half credit after Judge David Simpkin accepted a joint sentencing submission from Crown and defence counsel.
Crown prosecutor Robert Climie said that around 2 p.m. on Nov. 23, 2024, the victim heard noises outside his residence and approached the front window. He noticed several people wearing masks outside his unlocked door.
“He tried to hold the door closed, but four or five invaders pushed their way inside and began smashing furniture and throwing objects at (the victim), while demanding money and keys to his vehicle, which was in a garage adjacent to the residence,” Climie told the court.
The man was struck in the head and legs with chairs and hit over the head with a T-Fal non-stick frying pan, which bent on impact. In his victim impact statement, the victim estimated the value of items stolen or destroyed at $5,000.
Climie said that when the victim announced that people were on their way to the residence, Henry-Larose told the others to “get going.” The group then fled the scene in a vehicle.
Defence lawyer Michael Patterson told Simpkin that Henry-Larose is Indigenous and had lived in foster care beginning at age seven. He has a Grade 11 education and has worked at a mill and for an auto recycler.
“On release, (he wants) to seek active employment as well as to deal with the underlying trauma that he suffered while in foster care,” Patterson said.
“He intends to seek the help of his community and to seek out employment so as not to be idle.”
Henry-Larose told Simpkin that he has been “working on myself” for the last year-and-a-half, including taking courses to complete his high school diploma while in custody.
Simpkin said the sentence “addresses denunciation and deterrence and recognizes your Indigenous background and the amount of time that you've spent in pretrial custody.”
Mitigating factors included the guilty plea, which saved court time and spared the victim from having to testify about a traumatic experience.
Simpkin said the crime could have resulted in a life sentence.
“You're still a young guy. Hopefully, in the future, you may end up owning your own property, and you're going to be very protective of it,” Simpkin said.
“You're going to recognize that it's your safe place, your house. It's where you should feel safe, and you expect to be safe from intruders.”
