PORTLAND, Maine — The teenager who admitted shooting a Scarborough man during a January home invasion most likely will avoid serving time in an adult prison under a negotiated plea agreement approved Thursday in Cumberland County District Court.
Matthew Gwyer, now 18, of Scarborough admitted to the juvenile crimes of elevated aggravated assault, burglary to a residence while possessing a firearm and aggravated criminal mischief, according to the Cumberland County district attorney’s office.
Gwyer also pleaded guilty to the adult charge of aggravated assault with a sentencing set on that charge delayed until March 2019, after Gwyer’s 21st birthday.
An admission in juvenile court is equivalent to a guilty plea in adult court.
On the juvenile charges, Gwyer will be confined at Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland until his 21st birthday, District Attorney Stephanie Anderson said in a news release issued after a hearing Thursday before District Court Judge Peter Darvin.
The plea agreement would allow Gwyer to withdraw his guilty plea to the adult charge, a Class B crime, and plead guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge, if he does well at Long Creek, where he has been confined since his arrest by Scarborough police on Jan. 22.
Although the teenager confessed to police, he has not yet been able to explain why he targeted the Glidden family, according to local media reports.
“ In the early hours of Jan. 18, Gwyer entered the home of Bruce and Amy Glidden while they and their children were asleep,” the news release said. “Gwyer gained entry to the home by damaging a door then went to the basement where Bruce Glidden lay sleeping. Gwyer fired three shots from a handgun, one of which struck Mr. Glidden’s thigh and another of which struck his left hand.”
The homeowner has recovered from his injuries, according to local media reports.
Anderson said in the news release that the plea agreement balanced the main goal of Maine’s juvenile justice system — rehabilitation — and one of the goals of the adult system — punishment.
“The resolution of this case balances compassion and accountability,” she said in the release. “Mr. Gwyer deserves to serve a considerable period of confinement and remain under the supervision of the Department of Corrections for as long as possible. He is young and also deserves treatment and guidance that will allow him to become a responsible member of society.
“The court’s orders in this case, which blend elements of juvenile and criminal justice, allow Mr. Gwyer an opportunity to redeem himself,” Anderson said. “They also ensure that if he does not avail himself of rehabilitative services in the juvenile justice system, he will be held accountable in the adult criminal justice system.”
If Gwyer had committed the same crimes as an adult, he would have faced up to 10 year in prison and a fine of up to $20,000 on the aggravated assault charge alone.