Bangor man sentenced to 8 years for robbery

BANGOR – A Massachusetts man as sentenced Thursday in Penobscot County Superior Court to eight years in prison for robbing a woman at knifepoint, though he admitted he doesn’t remember the incident.

Joel MacKinnon, 38, of Merrimac, Mass., said he had three “stiff” drinks on May 7 shortly before threatening a woman in the Bangor Mall parking lot and taking her purse.

MacKinnon told Justice Andrew Mead on Thursday that all he remembers is “being picked up by police.”

Police stopped MacKinnon’s car, which turned out to be stolen, shortly after the incident and found the victim’s purse and contents inside.

MacKinnon was arrested and charged with robbery, operating under the influence, operating after suspension and operating a stolen vehicle. The last two charges have since been dropped.

“I believe the police have sufficient evidence,” MacKinnon told Mead. “I must be guilty, but I don’t remember.”

The sentence was reached in a plea agreement. The case didn’t go to trial.

The victim also was present Thursday at the courthouse, but left shortly after the sentencing and was not available for comment.

Penobscot County Assistant District Attorney Greg Campbell presented Mead with a victim impact statement detailing the “very profound effect” the incident had on the woman.

“This case involves a very serious situation,” Campbell said. “The victim had her young daughter with her at the time, which added to her trauma.”

MacKinnon’s attorney, David Bate of Bangor said his client had accepted responsibility for his actions, even though he doesn’t remember them. Bate added that MacKinnon’s guilty plea “spared the victim a trial and is a credit to him.”

“He has absolutely no memory of this incident,” Bate said. “It’s fair to say that this situation involved the abuse of alcohol, which contributed to the incident.

“Mr. MacKinnon was also doing poorly on a personal level, not that it should be used as an excuse,” Bate said.

Robbery, a Class A felony, is punishable by up to 40 years in prison, but Campbell said he was happy with the eight-year sentence.

The judge called the penalty severe.

“This offense is a rare occurrence in this corner of the country … it’s almost unheard of,” Mead said. “When they do occur, they are dealt with severely by the courts.”