Judge says stiff conditions ‘tantamount to denying bail’
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A man accused of setting a fire inside a house and being involved in a serious jailhouse assault has been granted bail on stiff conditions.
Melvin Mousseau, 27, is charged with aggravated assault, arson causing damage, breaking and entering into a home causing arson, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and mischief.
Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta delivered her decision on Thursday in Brandon provincial court. She reserved her decision after a contested bail hearing on Tuesday.
The Brandon courthouse entrance on 11th Street. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun files)
She acknowledged that the security she required to release Mousseau — either a $2,500 surety or a $1,500 cash deposit — may be “tantamount to denying bail.”
While reading her decision to the court, Hewitt-Michta outlined the allegations, which haven’t been proven in court.
In August 2024, Mousseau is alleged to have forced entry into a home that his sister had recently been evicted from and lit a pile of rags on fire, she said.
Police had initially responded to a report of a man walking around with an axe, and when they spoke with the accused, they noticed smoke coming from a nearby residence, court heard.
Police asked the accused about the fire, and he said he had been smudging, and officers found a torch-style lighter in the accused’s pocket, Hewitt-Michta said.
Mousseau was also allegedly involved in a three-on-one jailhouse assault at Brandon Correctional Centre, with a fourth assailant joining toward the end, she said.
“The beating involved hitting, kicking, and stomping, resulting in substantial injuries to the complainant’s face and body,” Hewitt-Michta said.
The plan Hewitt-Michta agreed to release Mousseau on included a $2,500 promise to pay on top of the surety or deposit, along with conditions not to have contact with the complainant of the jailhouse assault or any of the co-accused.
Mousseau’s matters will appear on an administrative docket later this month.
» sanderson@brandonsun.com