Video footage and a week-long investigation led Regina police to arrest and lay arson charges regarding a church fire.Jordan Willet, 31, was arrested at approximately 7:50 p.m. on Saturday, February 16. He is charged with:Arson with Disregard for Human Life [433)(A)];Disguise with Intent [351(2)]; and2 x Fail to Comply with Probation Order [733.1(1)].Willet will make his first appearance on these charges in Regina Provincial Court on Tuesday, February 20 at 9:30 a.m. The court information is #991259492.The arson charge of disregard for human life is always treated as an indictable offence and carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.Regina Fire and Protective Services was called to Blessed Sacrament Parish in the 2000 block of Scarth Street shortly before 4:00 a.m. on February 9 for a report of a fire at one of the entrances to the building. Fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the blaze and determined it was intentionally set.On Saturday, Fr. James Hentges, the pastor of the church, said, “I am relieved he is in custody and is not a threat.” The priest had posted video of the arson to Facebook. Here, a masked man emptied a plastic jerry can of gas at the church entrance, while looking over his shoulder. After the building caught fire, he ran away.In 2017, a 25-year-old Jordan Willet received a suspended sentence and one year probation for a fight in Sudbury with his former co-worker."You let your emotions get away from you and you exercised very bad judgment," Ontario Court Justice Randall Lalande told Willet, the Sudbury Star reported."The level of violence crosses the line."Although you didn't have a record and you are 25, I must look at the conduct at the time. The way you handled yourself militates me to granting a conditional discharge."The court heard that on Sept. 18, 2016, Willet and a former co-worker got into a heated argument on Facebook. Willett, who had been drinking, then left his home, showed up outside the man's residence and challenge him to fight. He then got out of sight.The man later came out and Willet punched him in the right side of his head, producing swelling around one eye and a scrape above the eyebrow. Willet also choked the man before leaving. Paramedics gave the victim treatment, and Willet turned himself in to police.Willet pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm and a pre-sentence report with a Gladue component was ordered. A Gladue report assists a judge with sentencing options for indigenous people.Willet's lawyer Alex Toffoli said Willet had been a model employee at the restaurant over his three years of employment. He had impressed his employer so much that the employer felt the incident was completely out of character for him.Toffoli said the Facebook argument was over a female co-worker about whom the other man had made disparaging remarks, angering Willet."He is a young Native man," said Toffoli, in arguing for a conditional discharge, which would result in no criminal record."He has no criminal record. He was under the influence of alcohol that night ... He played Sir Gallahad when the text came in ... He wanted to be her hero."The lawyer said that Willet, a Plains Cree, moved from Saskatchewan to Greater Sudbury at age 15 with his father, but has been on his own since age 17.Assistant Crown attorney Bailey Rudnick argued against the conditional discharge because the former co-worker received a significant injury in the fight. She added that Willet goaded the victim on Facebook, writing, "Nobody likes you. We all did shots when you left."She also said Willet made a conscious decision to go to the victim's residence, challenged him to a fight and when the victim came out later, attacked him."This is very much a one-sided altercation," said Rudnick. "Given the way the altercation developed, the accused took significant steps to get to the victim."Below: video of the arson
Video footage and a week-long investigation led Regina police to arrest and lay arson charges regarding a church fire.Jordan Willet, 31, was arrested at approximately 7:50 p.m. on Saturday, February 16. He is charged with:Arson with Disregard for Human Life [433)(A)];Disguise with Intent [351(2)]; and2 x Fail to Comply with Probation Order [733.1(1)].Willet will make his first appearance on these charges in Regina Provincial Court on Tuesday, February 20 at 9:30 a.m. The court information is #991259492.The arson charge of disregard for human life is always treated as an indictable offence and carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.Regina Fire and Protective Services was called to Blessed Sacrament Parish in the 2000 block of Scarth Street shortly before 4:00 a.m. on February 9 for a report of a fire at one of the entrances to the building. Fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the blaze and determined it was intentionally set.On Saturday, Fr. James Hentges, the pastor of the church, said, “I am relieved he is in custody and is not a threat.” The priest had posted video of the arson to Facebook. Here, a masked man emptied a plastic jerry can of gas at the church entrance, while looking over his shoulder. After the building caught fire, he ran away.In 2017, a 25-year-old Jordan Willet received a suspended sentence and one year probation for a fight in Sudbury with his former co-worker."You let your emotions get away from you and you exercised very bad judgment," Ontario Court Justice Randall Lalande told Willet, the Sudbury Star reported."The level of violence crosses the line."Although you didn't have a record and you are 25, I must look at the conduct at the time. The way you handled yourself militates me to granting a conditional discharge."The court heard that on Sept. 18, 2016, Willet and a former co-worker got into a heated argument on Facebook. Willett, who had been drinking, then left his home, showed up outside the man's residence and challenge him to fight. He then got out of sight.The man later came out and Willet punched him in the right side of his head, producing swelling around one eye and a scrape above the eyebrow. Willet also choked the man before leaving. Paramedics gave the victim treatment, and Willet turned himself in to police.Willet pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm and a pre-sentence report with a Gladue component was ordered. A Gladue report assists a judge with sentencing options for indigenous people.Willet's lawyer Alex Toffoli said Willet had been a model employee at the restaurant over his three years of employment. He had impressed his employer so much that the employer felt the incident was completely out of character for him.Toffoli said the Facebook argument was over a female co-worker about whom the other man had made disparaging remarks, angering Willet."He is a young Native man," said Toffoli, in arguing for a conditional discharge, which would result in no criminal record."He has no criminal record. He was under the influence of alcohol that night ... He played Sir Gallahad when the text came in ... He wanted to be her hero."The lawyer said that Willet, a Plains Cree, moved from Saskatchewan to Greater Sudbury at age 15 with his father, but has been on his own since age 17.Assistant Crown attorney Bailey Rudnick argued against the conditional discharge because the former co-worker received a significant injury in the fight. She added that Willet goaded the victim on Facebook, writing, "Nobody likes you. We all did shots when you left."She also said Willet made a conscious decision to go to the victim's residence, challenged him to a fight and when the victim came out later, attacked him."This is very much a one-sided altercation," said Rudnick. "Given the way the altercation developed, the accused took significant steps to get to the victim."Below: video of the arson
