Ottawa man sentenced for hate-motivated harassment of his Asian neighbors

A former Ottawa resident who admitted to terrorizing his Asian neighbors with racially motivated harassment and vandalism has narrowly avoided jail time. An Ontario court in Ottawa sentenced 37-year-old Mathew Galipeau on Tuesday to an 18-month conditional term, beginning with four months of house arrest, for the hateful acts committed in the Barrhaven suburb. The judgment concludes a high-profile case that shined a harsh light on anti-Asian sentiment and the application of hate crime legislation.

The charges stemmed from incidents in June 2024 where Galipeau and his former partner, Jaime Quigley, were captured on security footage mocking Asian languages with imitative gibberish and throwing eggs at the South Korean family’s home. Galipeau’s 18-month sentence is structured as a conditional one, commencing with four months of strict house arrest followed by two months under a court-ordered curfew, and concluding with 12 months of standard probation.

His ex-wife, Jaime Quigley, pleaded guilty to one count of mischief to property under $5000 and received a suspended sentence with 12 months of probation. Quigley addressed the court, stating she feels “horrible” about the incident and is “deeply sorry.” In delivering Galipeau’s sentence, Justice Hugh Fraser stated that his actions were “reprehensible” and asserted there was “no justification” for them.

Although Galipeau did not make a statement, his legal counsel conveyed that he was “sincerely remorseful” for his conduct and is attending mandatory counseling for racial sensitivity. Both Quigley’s and Galipeau’s probation includes a prohibition on contacting the victims or approaching their property.

The court underscored the lasting harm inflicted upon the victims, a family of South Korean descent, through a detailed victim impact statement. This statement outlined the “unrelenting stress” the family experienced directly from the sustained harassment, detailing symptoms like severe anxiety, panic attacks, depression and significant trouble sleeping.