P.E.I. man who started string of cottage fires in 2023 to be sentenced in May

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 2:42 PM EDT | Last Updated: 38 minutes ago

Crown and defence lawyers made their sentencing arguments successful a P.E.I. courtroom Friday for a antheral who was down a drawstring of fires that destroyed cottages and damaged homes successful 2023. 

Some of the victims besides spoke astir however they were affected by the crimes committed by Dakota Ellis. 

Last May, the Donaldston antheral pleaded blameworthy to a fig of charges related to arson arsenic good arsenic breaking and entering to perpetrate an indictable offence. Ellis was 19 astatine the clip of the incidents. 

Three cottages were destroyed successful Donaldston, Stanhope and Scotchfort. A location and a lifeguard hut successful Prince Edward Island National Park were besides damaged. 

Joanne Cook inherited her cottage from her parents, and told the tribunal Friday that what was mislaid successful the occurrence can't beryllium replaced. 

She said she doesn't cognize if she tin spend to rebuild — and adjacent if she could, she's not definite she'd ever consciousness harmless determination again.

Another pistillate whose location was damaged told the tribunal she's lived successful fearfulness each time since the incidents due to the fact that Ellis has not been successful custody. 

Another household had a connection work successful tribunal connected their behalf. They said they had planned to marque memories successful their cottage and the nonaccomplishment of that imagination is what's deed them the hardest.

But they said they forgive Ellis and anticipation helium turns his beingness around. 

Ellis declined to talk successful tribunal connected Friday.

Crown, defence disagree connected sentencing

According to a information of the agreed connection of facts work retired successful the Charlottetown courtroom past year, Ellis broke into 2 cottages successful Donaldston and 1 successful Stanhope connected Nov. 24 and 25, 2023, and utilized immoderate benignant of substance to commencement the fires. 

Also connected Nov. 25, a homeowner connected Afton Road successful Scotchfort reported an odour of diesel and the beingness of soot extracurricular their house. There was nary superior harm to the property.

On Nov. 26, a lifeguard presumption successful the Stanhope Beach country was vandalized, and authorities found soot and traces of an accelerant astatine the scene. 

Ellis and a younker who can't beryllium named due to the fact that of the Youth Criminal Justice Act were yet arrested by P.E.I. RCMP.  

Ellis aboriginal told constabulary helium didn't similar a young idiosyncratic who lived successful 1 of the houses helium targeted.

The Crown asked for Ellis to beryllium sentenced to a full of 4 years and six months, saying the crimes person had a important interaction connected the victims. They argued that helium already had a transgression grounds astatine the clip of the offences and made a conscious determination to acceptable the fires. If the transgression is considered an arson spree, the Crown wants a six- to seven-year planetary sentence.

The defence lawyer is asking for 12 months successful custody, saying Ellis has a past of intelligence unwellness and rehabilitation is important. 

Justice Gregory Cann said helium wants to instrumentality clip to reappraisal the material. Ellis volition deterioration an physics monitoring instrumentality successful the meantime. 

The lawsuit was adjourned until May 13 for sentencing.