Matthew Percy sentenced to 5 years for sexual assault of woman in Halifax university dorm

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Matthew Albert Percy has been sentenced to five years for sexually assaulting a woman in her Dalhousie University dorm room in 2014.

Due to credit for time served, he will be serve two years and seven months in a federal penitentiary.

He will also be placed on the National Sex Offender Registry and be added to the National DNA Data Bank of Canada.

Percy had been found guilty in July 2020 of sexual assault causing bodily harm.

It was the former Saint Mary’s University groundskeeper’s second sexual assault conviction.

During sentencing on Wednesday, Justice Joshua Arnold said Percy “targeted” the victim and “was acting in a predatory manner.”

At the time of his verdict, Justice Arnold said that he was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Percy had sexually assaulted the woman on Dec. 6, 2014.

During the trial, the complainant testified to meeting Percy, who was 31-years-old at the time, after celebrating her nineteenth birthday at a nightclub in downtown Halifax.

She said Percy invited her to get poutine at a nearby takeout restaurant, only for them to stop at another bar for a drink before getting the food.

The woman testified she doesn’t remember how they ended up at her residence but alleged that once inside, Percy assaulted her multiple times, leaving her with bite marks on her neck and painful bruises on her rear.

Justice Arnold had said he believed beyond a reasonable doubt that Percy had forced anal sex with the woman, as well as non-consensual intercourse in the shower.

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In her victim impact statement. the woman said she still has trouble trusting people and being in public by herself. She said Percy “tricked” her that night and “mutilated” her physically and mentally.

“Since that traumatic event, my life has been forever changed,” the statement read.

Halifax Regional Police had originally closed the file without charges — a month after their investigation began.

However, in the wake of Percy being charged with sexually assaulting two other women, police re-opened their investigation and eventually laid charges.

Percy had pleaded not guilty to the charge of sexual assault causing bodily harm and the trial was heard by a judge alone in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

He had two previous trials in 2018 involving sexual assault allegations — all involving young women who were intoxicated.

One resulted in an acquittal.

He was found guilty of sexual assault and voyeurism in the second trial, and sentenced to 2.5 years.

Percy is headed to a fourth trial, involving a charge of sexual assault causing bodily harm stemming from an incident in November 2013. Although that trial was scheduled to begin in December 2020, it has been adjourned until Nov. 12, 2021.