On Feb. 18, 2018, two Queen’s students committed a violent robbery a block away from McBurney Park—changing the course of their careers as students.
Andras Orioli and Nicholas Kapogines entered the Kingston residence armed with a crowbar and pepper spray. Upon attacking one housemate with pepper spray, the two stole $250 worth of marijuana before escaping in a vehicle.
A neighbour was able to catch the licence plate of the vehicle, leading to their subsequent arrest by officers shortly after. The two confessed to the robbery, but not to assaulting the victim.
At the time, both students were 19 and attended Queen’s. By the time their pleas were filed and in their preliminary stage, the two were suspended and moved to continue the semester at York University.
Before Justice Allan Letourneau this month, the two were sentenced to three years equivalent in custody on a single count of robbery each.
During the hearing, Orioli’s lawyer, Anthony Paciocco, appealed to Orioli’s character in an attempt to justify the low sentence for the crime, referring to him as “quite the athlete.”
“He’s got a life plan,” Paciocco appealed. “He’s got lofty ambitions, your honour.”
The victim statement, however, spoke to the ongoing impact of the assault that happened over a year ago. He mentioned sleepless nights, panic attacks, and ongoing self-consciousness produced by the “dense scars” on his head following the attack.
Letters were presented to the court in support of both Orioli and Kapogines. Justice Letourneau, following his reading of them, stated that Kapogines would be “an excellent candidate for early parole.”
Following pre-sentence credits, Kapogines will spend 1,093 days in a penitentiary and Orioli will serve 1,089.
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