Paquin given 10 years in prison

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — A Linneus man will spend the next 10 years in prison for breaking into a Houlton residence armed with an unloaded shotgun in September, 2010.
    Justice E. Allen Hunter sentenced Brian Paquin, 47, in Aroostook County Superior Court after an hour and 30 minute sentencing hearing. Paquin was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with 10 years suspended, and four years of probation.
    Paquin also received three five-year sentences for two counts of criminal threatening and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. He was found guilty of the burglary and criminal threatening charges at a jury trial earlier this summer. He also pled no contest to one count of possession of a firearm.
    On Sept. 16, 2010 at approximately 10:51 p.m., the Houlton Police Department received a call from Mechanic Street, reporting a fight at the apartment of Travis Sirois. The caller stated that a man armed with a shotgun was in Sirois’ apartment, struggling with Sirois, who could be heard yelling in the background for police assistance.
    Sergeant Eric Crouse and Officer Theron Bickford responded to the apartment to find Sirois in the hallway outside his apartment, bleeding from an injury to his hand. The intruder had fled the scene prior to police arrival, leaving the shotgun behind in Sirois’ apartment. Sirois was examined by Houlton Ambulance Service at the scene, and transported to Houlton Regional Hospital for further observation where he was treated and later released.
    Sergeant Crouse and Officer Bickford interviewed witnesses and processed the crime scene. During the course of the investigation the suspect was identified as Paquin. He was reported to be staying with a friend in Linneus. A photo lineup was prepared and presented to witnesses who positively identified Paquin as the suspect.
    Aroostook County Sheriff’s office was called to assist Houlton Police Department in going to the residence in Linneus. Deputy Ross McQuade and Sergeant Crouse went to the residence in Linneus, located Paquin and placed him under arrest. Paquin was transported to the Aroostook County jail. It was determined that Paquin was on probation from Rhode Island with an extensive criminal history, including past felony charges.
    During the sentencing hearing, Paquin’s attorney, Torrey Sylvester, contended Paquin was a strong, church-going member of the community. He said the reasons his client took the unloaded weapon to the Mechanic Street apartment was to show it to an individual who was interested in buying it.
    The Rev. Art Meyers of the First Baptist Church in Houlton told the court Paquin was a member in good standing of the church, routinely volunteering his services and acting as an usher. He had been hired to re-shingle the church’s steeple and also performed carpentry work in Meyers’ home without incident.
    Assistant District Attorney Kurt Kafferlin painted a much different picture of Paquin, stating he knowingly went to Sirois’ apartment with the shotgun, even though he was prohibited from possessing such a weapon due to his prior convictions, and got into an altercation with Sirois. Both men were stated to be intoxicated at the time of the incident.
    “He’s a significant offender doing a significant offense,” Kafferlin said. “He’s been down this road before.”
    Paquin has an extensive criminal background in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, including convictions for assault with intent to commit robbery in 1997, as well as larceny, burglary, disorderly conduct, possession of cocaine and violating probation. In Maine, he had been twice convicted of operating under the influence, and once for operating after suspension and assault.
    The state had been seeking a 25-year sentence, while Sylvester contended that his client should receive a much lighter sentence with the majority of it served under probation.
    “I think he (Paquin) is a good candidate for probation,” Sylvester said. “He’s an extremely skilled- and hard-worker. To deny the community that, would be a shame. I would ask the court to consider most carefully that he be given probation for this offense.”
    Kafferlin contended that probation was not in the best interests of the court because Paquin has been on probation for the entire time he has been in Maine and had frequently lied to his probation officer about where he lived.
    Before the judge handed out his sentence, Paquin addressed the court.
    “I would like to apologize for my actions,” he said. “This whole thing has gotten way out of hand. What happened that night was unbelievable. I had no right to take that gun over there.”
    Justice Hunter said the incident fell under the category of a “nighttime home invasion,” that was premeditated and stated that Paquin was a classic example of a person who behaves one way under normal conditions, but turns into a completely different person when under the influence of alcohol.
    The judge said Paquin was “untruthful” in his testimony during his court trial and showed little remorse for his actions. Hunter said he was requiring Paquin to serve 10 years of the 20-year sentence in the interest of public safety and a warning to others to not engage in similar behavior.
    “He does not rise to the level of accepting responsibility for his actions and he is still in denial,” Hunter said.
    Sylvester said his client plans to appeal the sentence.