Man headed to prison for Lennox Island stabbings

SUMMERSIDE - A Lennox Island man has been sentenced to five years in prison for stabbing two men near a trail in the community.

Jason Aaron Sark, 27, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and aggravated assault in Summerside Provincial Court this morning.

Sark admitted stabbing the men with a broken beer bottle early the morning of Saturday, Aug. 25. Sark and the first victim, Edward Sark, had exchanged words several times before they got into a confrontation.

Edward Sark challenged Jason to a fight. Jason initially did not want to, but as time went on that changed. He indicated to police he felt his buttons were being pushed; he didn't like that. So though he didn't want to fight, he decided if there was a fight it would be a good one.

Both men had beer bottles in their hands at one point, but Edward Sark put his down and indicated he wanted to fight with his hands. Jason grabbed him and stabbed him in the neck at least three times. Another man, George Thomas, intervened and Jason Sark cut him two or three times in the face.

Jason Sark made a number of threatening statements before during and after the incident.

"I'm going to get him," he said of Edward Sark later that day. "I'm going to finish the job."

Jason Sark has a history of mental health issues, trouble dealing with anger and several assaults on his record.

He apologized in court for the pain he'd caused and the damage to his community.

"The whole island is my family," he said. "I'm sorry for the pain I've caused."

Judge Jeff Lantz agreed to a joint submission in sentencing him to five years in prison. He added another two months for an unrelated assault in which Jason Sark put his hands around a man's throat and choked him for about five seconds. That happened at a residence in July.

Lantz also ordered a 10-year weapons prohibition as part of the sentence.