Bail hearing on multiple charges
Larry Vaughn Wortman, 31, of Summerfield, appeared in provincial court in custody via video on Oct. 20 for a fitness hearing after being remanded for a five-day mental health assessment at the Restigouche hospital. The court found him fit to stand trial, and he returns to court in custody for a bail hearing on Oct. 22 at 9:30 a.m.
Wortman was charged by RCMP with possession of a firearm while prohibited from having it, resisting arrest, uttering threats, assault, assaulting a police officer, and unauthorized possession of a firearm in connection with an Oct. 13 incident.
Charged with threats
Shawn Robert Cole, 54, of Woodstock, will appear in provincial court on Nov. 17 at 9:30 a.m. to answer a threat charge laid by Woodstock Police.
Cole was charged with uttering threats against a police officer following an incident on July 2 in Woodstock. He made his first court appearance on Oct. 20, when the matter was adjourned to the new date to give him more time to secure legal counsel.
Judge and jury trial
Lyle Tibbets, 53, of Florenceville-Bristol, appeared in provincial court on Oct. 20 and pleaded not guilty to sex charges laid by the RCMP. He elected trial by judge and jury at the Court of King’s Bench. The court will set a trial date on the next Motion’s Day, Dec. 7.
Tibbets was charged with touching a minor for a sexual purpose and invitation to sexual touching between June 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, at Mount Pleasant. He was also charged with sexual assault and touching a minor for a sexual purpose between June 30, 2024, and Nov. 7, 2025, at Mount Pleasant. A monitoring hearing will be held on Jan. 7, 2027, at 9:30 a.m. to confirm his trial is being booked at the higher court.
In custody awaiting plea
Curtis Brent Hatheway, 46, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court in custody via video on Oct. 20 for plea on three charges. The court adjourned his plea until Nov. 10 at 9:30 a.m. to allow his lawyer time to review disclosure.
Hatheway was charged by Woodstock Police with uttering threats, break and enter at a dwelling house, and breach of probation following an incident on Oct. 1 in Woodstock. He was arrested and remanded to jail after a bail hearing.
On Sept. 28, Hatheway was released from custody after spending several months in jail on other charges but was re-arrested a few days later.
In custody awaiting trial
Jacob Richard Sewell, 36, of Wotstak (Woodstock First Nation), appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Oct. 20 and pleaded not guilty to assault and threat charges laid by Woodstock Police. His trial was booked for Feb. 10, 2027, at 9:30 a.m.
Sewell was charged with assault by choking and uttering threats stemming from an incident in Woodstock on July 22. He pleaded guilty to two other charges of assault and uttering threats on July 21 in Woodstock. The court set his sentencing for Feb. 10, 2027, at 1:30 p.m.
The court remanded Sewell to jail after a bail hearing. He appeared in provincial court in custody via video on Sept. 21 and was sentenced to two years in federal prison after changing his plea to guilty on a drug charge.
Sewell was charged with two counts of trafficking in cocaine in connection with incidents on April 24 and May 2, 2025, in Woodstock. The court heard that Sewell was caught selling a small quantity of cocaine to an undercover police officer during two incidents. With the consent of the Crown, the two counts were rolled into one trafficking charge.
In addition to jail time, Judge Henrik Tonning also ordered Sewell to register with the federal DNA database and prohibited him from the use of firearms for 10 years. Sewell had a limited prior criminal record.
Remanded until trial
Brandon Travis Hamilton, 36, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court by video, in custody, on Oct. 20 to answer charges laid by the RCMP. The matter was adjourned for plea until Nov. 2 at 9:30 a.m.
The court heard Hamilton had other charges in Fredericton and was seeking a resolution with the Crown on all files. Hamilton said he expected the Woodstock charges to be transferred to Fredericton.
He was charged with breaching his release order and fleeing from police after an incident on Sept. 29 in Greenfield. The court remanded him to jail following a bail hearing.
At an earlier court appearance, he pleaded not guilty to several other charges laid by the RCMP. The court set his trial for Aug. 19, 2027, at 9:30 a.m.
Hamilton was charged with possession of two stolen snowmobiles, dangerous driving, fleeing police, driving while suspended, possession of a firearm while prohibited from having it, careless use of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a licence, and being an occupant of a vehicle knowing it carried a firearm, in connection with an incident on Feb. 24 in Florenceville-Bristol.
He also pleaded not guilty to possession of a stolen vehicle and two counts of driving while suspended on June 9, 2025, in Woodstock. The court set his trial on the stolen property charge for June 9, 2027, at 9:30 a.m. The court set another trial for the two alleged driving offences for Feb. 22, 2027, at 1:30 p.m.
Incident at Eel River Lake
Edward Blair, 49, of Sproul Road in Eel River, appeared in provincial court on Oct. 20 and pleaded not guilty to several charges laid by the RCMP. His trial was booked for Aug. 11-12, 2027, at 1:30 p.m.
Blair was charged with assaulting a male victim and uttering threats on June 3 at Eel River Lake, and assaulting a woman with a weapon (an axe), uttering threats and mischief causing property damage to a vehicle on June 3 in Woodstock.
Awaiting plea and trial
Chad Brooker, 36, of Centreville, will appear in provincial court on Nov. 10 at 9:30 a.m. to enter a plea on three charges laid by the RCMP. He was scheduled to enter a plea on Oct. 20, but the court adjourned the matter to give him more time to consult legal counsel.
Brooker was charged with assault involving a female victim in connection with an incident on Dec. 15, 2025, in Williamstown; theft of a snowmobile on Jan. 10 in Hartland; and possession of a stolen snowmobile on Jan. 11 in Hartland.
At an earlier court appearance, he pleaded not guilty to sexual assault, touching a minor for a sexual purpose and invitation to sexual touching in connection with an incident between June 1 and Oct. 31, 2024, at Centreville. The court set his trial for April 1-2, 2027, at 9:30 a.m. The court also set a pre-trial conference for Jan. 5, 2027, at 1:30 p.m.
Returning for plea
Dillion Christopher Langille, 29, of Tatamagouche, will appear in provincial court on Nov. 3 at 9:30 a.m. to enter a plea to multiple charges laid by Woodstock Police.
Langille was charged with flight from police, dangerous driving, mischief, assaulting a police officer, and resisting arrest, concerning an incident on July 5 in Woodstock. He appeared in provincial court on Oct. 20 via teleconference after the matter was adjourned to give him more time to consult his lawyer. The court held a warrant on file until his next court appearance.
New sentencing date
Makayla Marie Shaw, 28, of Plaster Rock, will appear in provincial court for sentencing on Jan. 26, 2027, at 1:30 p.m.
Shaw pleaded guilty to breaching her release order (curfew) in Woodstock on Sept. 15, 2024. Her sentencing date was set for Oct. 27 but was adjourned to the new date at her lawyer’s request.
Sentencing adjourned
Miguel Downer of Perth-Andover was scheduled to appear in provincial court for sentencing on a stolen property charge on Oct. 20. The court heard he was in custody in Ontario, so it adjourned his sentencing to Dec. 22 at 1:30 p.m.
Downer pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen motorcycle in Wilmot on Aug. 7, 2024. The RCMP laid the charge.
