Perry teen admits responsibility in trashing Eastport home

CALAIS – A 16-year old Perry youth, who appeared in 4th District Court on Tuesday, took responsibility for his role in the trashing of an Eastport home in June and asked for forgiveness.

Jacob Stanley agreed to pay back his part of the more than $17,000 in restitution beginning with the $1,000 he earned since he has been charged.

He was sentenced to the Maine Youth Center until age 19, with all but 14 days suspended, and placed on two years probation with conditions.

Earlier this year, Stanley was charged with aggravated criminal mischief and criminal trespass for breaking into and trashing the home of his friend’s parents. He also was charged with one count of criminal trespass after he broke into the former Wass factory in Eastport.

Stanley told Judge John Romei that he was sorry for what he had done and said he hoped the victims, Alvah and Sandra Seeley, would forgive him.

Alvah “Junior” Seeley works as a longshoreman and clam digger, Sandra Seeley works as a waitress at an Eastport restaurant.

Stanley’s companion, Perry J. Newell Jr., 15, of Pleasant Point, Tuesday denied his role in the house trashing. His hearing has been set for September.

But it was Sandra Seeley who most impressed the judge when she told him that although what the two teens had done was “awful,” Stanley’s honesty meant a lot to her.

“I won’t forgive them for what they’ve done. A lot can’t be replaced,” she said. “Twenty-five years of work on the clam flats was destroyed in one day by two drunk kids. It’s ruined their lives and ours.”

Romei told Seeley that she had conducted herself with great grace and dignity and for that he admired her. “Ms. Seeley deserves credit for how she has handled this matter,” the judge told the courtroom.

In June, the Seeleys were in Florida to attend a family member’s wedding when they learned that their house had been broken into.

At the time, police said that nearly everything in the house was destroyed or vandalized. Furniture was overturned, antique dishes were broken, the refrigerator and freezer doors were left open, and food was ruined. A television set was destroyed, plants were uprooted, and furniture was wrecked.

The Seeleys were not insured.

Although there have been fundraising efforts for the Seeleys, the couple still suffered a major loss.

Assistant District Attorney Joelle Smith-Pratt described what happened on June 7. She said Stanley and Newell decided to skip school. The two, who had been drinking and allegedly were intoxicated, broke into the former Wass factory in Eastport where they continued to consume alcohol.

From there the two went to another residence in Eastport where they were kicked out. They later made their way to the Seeley house. The two juveniles were friends of the couple’s children.

Smith-Pratt said Stanley told police afterward they had gone to the house to sleep, started pushing each other in a playful manner and ended up trashing the house.

“[Stanley] has taken responsibility from the beginning,” she told the judge.

As a result of a plea negotiation, Smith-Pratt said, Stanley would serve 14 days and ordered to pay restitution. As part of his probation he also would be required to attend school and observe a curfew.

Romei accepted the plea agreement and, speaking directly to Stanley, told him why. He said he appreciated the fact that the young man had taken responsibility from the beginning. “You can’t undo what’s been done,” he told Stanley. “But you have control over your future.”

The judge noted that Stanley did not have a prior criminal record.

Turning to the victim, he told her he admired how well she had handled the situation. “If I suffered similarly I don’t think I would handle myself as well,” he said.