ex-correctional officer sentenced to three years in prison for trying to smuggle concentrated cannabis into nova scotia jail
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the northeast nova scotia correctional facility. - government of nova scotia
a former nova scotia correctional officer who was busted for attempting to smuggle drugs into the facility where he worked will serve two concurrent three-year sentences in a federal prison.
justice bryna hatt handed down the punishment to robert mclaughlin at the nova scotia supreme court in pictou on wednesday. the 42-year-old was caught entering the northeast nova scotia correctional facility (nnscf) near new glasgow with 110 grams of concentrated cannabis, commonly referred to as ‘shatter,’ divided into two packages wrapped in plastic and electrical tape on sept. 3, 2023.
an estimate from the prosecution placed the value of the contraband at $55,000 in the inflated jail market. mclaughlin pleaded guilty to breach of trust and one count of possession for the purpose of distributing under the cannabis act ahead of his sentencing.
“the opportunity for mr. mclaughlin’s offence was only available to him because of the trust bestowed on him by the justice system, including correctional services, fellow correctional officers, inmates, and the public at large,” hatt said in her ruling. “mr. mclaughlin flagrantly broke this trust in the pursuit of personal gain at the expense of the integrity and safety of the staff and inmates at nnscf.”
in providing the background of the crime, hatt detailed how mclaughlin conspired with an inmate named marcus denny and a contact on the outside over the course of approximately one month. she also explained that mclaughlin was to be paid for his role in the crime.
because of the amount of time and planning involved in the scheme, hatt concluded pre-meditation had to be factored into the length of the sentence. but she also weighed that against other elements working in mclaughlin’s favour, such as being a first-time offender and expressing remorse. in that regard, hatt referred to him as having “positive rehabilitative potential.”
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but hatt then considered the balance of those variables against the original core component of his offence, which was his “egregious breach of trust.”
“evidence was accepted in (a related) hearing about the risks associated with drugs in the facility, including increases in violence between inmates, overdosing, dependence, damage to property and creation of debts between inmates,” hatt said. “mr. mclaughlin knew the packages were shatter and attempted to introduce them into nnscf.
“mr. mclaughlin was bringing the drug packages to mr. denny. it is only logical that mr. mclaughlin was aware that mr. denny would be selling and promoting its use within the institution. in doing so, mr. mclaughlin was creating a risk for every inmate, staff person, and guest within the facility, undermining public confidence and the expectation of safety and the role of rehabilitation in the facility, and by extension, the administration of justice itself. mr. mclaughlin exploited his correctional officer role, a role that provided him with trust and unparalleled access to secure areas of nnscf.”
the pictou courthouse. – herald file
file
once hatt established that overview, she then referenced six comparable cases in canada, including four from nova scotia, to establish a framework for assigning mclaughlin an appropriate sentence.
she described how that review made it clear she needed to send a strong message to the public that mclaughlin’s punishment should fall on the harsh end of the spectrum so that others will be discouraged from following his example.
“these offences are significant and had the potential to have numerous and far-reaching harmful impacts,” she said. “for these reasons, a jail sentence is not only warranted but necessary to bring to bear the full consequences to satisfy denunciation and deterrence, and to uphold the administration of justice.”
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mclaughlin will also be prohibited from possessing a firearm for 10 years and will be required to follow a dna order.
“the interest of justice outweighs mr. mclaughlin’s privacy interest in these circumstances,” hatt said.
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