A 21-year-old U.B.C. student has been sentenced to 60 days in jail to be served on weekends for his part in Vancouver’s June 2011 Stanley Cup riot.
Alexander Peepre was convicted of assaulting a man trying to put out a trash can fire during the riot.
The victim was already on the ground after being punched by someone else, and Peepre hit him again.
Peepre was also caught on camera taunting police and flipping a pick-up truck.
After turning himself in to police he pleaded guilty to rioting and assault.
His sentence will be served on weekends, so he can continue studying political science at U.B.C.
The man he assaulted, Cameron Brown, said the sentence doesn’t bother him.
“It’s good to not necessarily lock people up so that they drop out of university and don’t get to make something better of themselves,” said Brown.
“Maybe weekends in jail are the best way to go.”
But Brown said he is still suing Peepre in part to help pay for rented camera equipment damaged during the assault.
Peepre’s 60-day sentence will be followed by 18 months probation and 125 hours of community service.
The crown had asked for nine months behind bars.
Peepre is the son of prominent conservationist Jurie Peepre.
He said he was proud his son had confessed to the crime, taken responsibility and is confident he will now move on with his life.
So far a handful of rioters have been sentenced for their role in the destruction of Vancouver’s downtown core after the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup final to the Boston Bruins.
More than 130 people have been charged for riot-related crimes and police said they expect more than 300 to be charged by the time the riot investigation is over.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Jina You
