A Nelson judge has handed down a reduced sentence of 25 months in prison to a Trail man for assaulting a police officer, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and resisting a police officer.
Judge Craig Sicotte referred to Sheldon Matteuci’s extensive criminal background in sentencing today and said he was sympathetic about his difficult upbringing, but stated in open court past upbringing is only a small factor.
“The sentence must be proportionate to the gravity of the offense, and the degree of responsibility to the offense,” said Sicotte.
He said the purpose of providing a sentence to any offender of this calibre is not just to ensure public safety but also educate offenders and denounce unlawful conduct.
“The fundamental purpose of sentencing is to protect society, and to contribute along with crime prevention initiatives to respect for the law,” he says. “This works to maintain a safe and just society.”
Sicotte said he took reports from medical professionals, psychiatric evaluations and time served into consideration when determining a sentence for Matteucci, but there are still a number of underlying issues in this case.
“Mr. Matteucci was on bail and probation for violent offenses,” he said. “The nature of the weapons, and the assault, have the potential to be lethal for the officers as well. The offender continued to resist arrest for as much as 20 minutes resulting in serious injury to one.”
Sicotte gave Mateucci credit for the time he had already served, and recognized him for the hard work he has done in jail .
“He has made good use of his time in custody, especially the last six months,” he said. “He has taken courses despite his inability to read or write, and taken goals to reconnect with his aboriginal heritage as well.”
The sentence of 25 months was reduced from 34 with credit for time served and Mateucci’s efforts to rehabilitate himself, but Sicotte also placed further restrictions on him such as prohibiting him from possessing any firearms, crossbow, prohibited device or ammunition for life.
Matteucci was arrested by police after they responded to a complaint that he was causing a disturbance in the 2000 block of Daniel Street where he “became immediately aggressive” with police while holding knives and resisted arrest.
Matteucci has been in custody since October 2021.