Unless you’ve been away in another country or on another planet, you have probably heard about the home invasion that took place in Fallingbrook earlier this month. A man in his mid-50s fired several nails from a nail gun into not one but two homes and threatened to seriously injure one of the couples whose home he broke into.
Well, here’s the rest of the story. After spending a night in jail, the man (and I won’t say accused or alleged suspect because he quite clearly committed the crimes in question) was released and allowed to go home on the condition that he can’t go out in public unless escorted by a family member. That’s it. He didn’t even have to undergo a psychiatric assessment before being released.
He was also told that he couldn’t go within 100 metres of either of the two houses he targeted, one of which is on the same street he lives on.
The reasoning for what any normal person might consider to be the somewhat lenient terms of his release is that he had never done anything like this before and therefore he likely won’t do it again. Of course, the flip side to that is that he has already done it once, and he could possibly do it again because, those far, no one has been able to figure out why he did it in the first place, or even bothered to ask why?
If by now you’re thinking this is crazy tunes, you’re probably not alone. According to people who were in the courtroom, he showed up for his second court appearance sporting a brand new haircut and wearing what looked to be a brand new suit. His demeanor was that of a man who knew the system was on his side.
The victims in this case are still shaken up and likely will need to go through some form of therapy to even begin to feel safe in their own neighbourhood again. And that’s not even taking into account the damage done to their property. One couple needs to replace both their garage and front doors which were severely damaged and get their car repaired after it was hit by several of the nails fired by the assailant.
The other couple needs to get the holes repaired in their walls after the man fired several nails through their door.
While it is not yet known whether the accused will have to pay any sort of financial reparations, don’t hold your breath. Nor will he likely face any time in jail.
In all likelihood, he will be ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment, and once his doctor gives him the thumbs’ up, he will be able to resume the life he had prior to the attacks, albeit on some sort of medication, meanwhile his victims will never truly feel safe again.
And there you have the justice system in Canada in the year 2023, where the victims end up paying way more for the crime that took place than their attacker ever will.
