Weaver man sentenced to 13 months in jail
Christopher Elliott, 34, of Weaver, was sentenced to 13 months in jail, minus time served, when he appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 28. He pleaded guilty to a series of charges laid by the RCMP.
Associate Chief Judge Brian C. McLean also placed him on 12 months of probation and ordered him to register with the federal DNA database. He was also prohibited from firearms for life. Elliott had a limited prior criminal record.
He appeared in court in custody via teleconference in October and was remanded to jail to await a bail hearing. He waived his bail until later and faced new charges of fraud and possession of stolen property (a debit card) concerning an incident on July 18, 2023, at Plaster Rock. He pleaded guilty to fraud, and the crown withdrew the second charge.
Elliott was also charged with resisting arrest and possession of ammunition while prohibited for an incident on Oct. 23, 2023, at Perth-Andover. He was also charged with failing to appear in court for his trial in Woodstock on Aug. 23, 2023. He pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and failing to appear in court. The crown withdrew the remaining charge.
Elliott was charged with possessing a prohibited weapon without a licence in an incident on November 4, 2021, at Gladwyn. He was also charged under the Fish and Wildlife Act with having a loaded firearm in a vehicle, possession of a firearm without a licence, and hunting without a licence on Nov. 4, 2021. The crown withdrew these charges.
Elliott and Amber Holt, 32, of Bluebell, were jointly charged by RCMP with possession of a firearm without a licence (.22 Magnum rifle) and careless use of a firearm for another incident on June 22, 2022, in Weaver. The crown withdrew these charges against Elliott. The gun involved in the incident was returned to its owner.
Elliott was also charged with possession of a firearm while prohibited from having it in connection with the same incident in Weaver. He pleaded guilty to this offence.
Holt was sentenced in December to 15 months in custody at a drug rehabilitation facility after pleading guilty to multiple charges. She absconded from rehab, and an arrest warrant was issued.
Coldstream woman handed 90 days
Alexandra Marie Weeks, 21, of Coldstream, was sentenced to 90 days in jail, minus time served, when she appeared in provincial court in custody on May 28. She was also placed on 12 months of probation and ordered to seek counselling for drug addiction.
“This is not her first rodeo,” said Associate Chief Brian C. McLean during sentencing. “She is certainly feeling the sting of punitive justice. If you took away crystal meth, our community would be much better. Miss Weeks is aware of that. Hopefully, she does better. Meth doesn’t care how hard she tries.”
Judge McLean recommended she undergo addiction counselling and stay away from drug users and pro-criminal friends. He noted she was a remorseful and youthful offender with a one-page criminal record.
Weeks appeared in custody by video on April 29, waived her bail and pleaded guilty to a series of charges laid by RCMP. On Tuesday, she read a letter of apology to the court, saying she wanted to beat her drug addiction and get her life back on track.
Weeks pleaded guilty to breaching her curfew on April 17 at Coldstream, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property (licence plates), and breach of probation in connection with an incident on April 1 at East Brighton.
The court heard a vehicle was stolen in Carlow and was later spotted driving up and down the East Brighton Road. Police stopped the vehicle and found methamphetamine and the original licence plates inside. Weeks was identified as the driver.
Woodstock man facing 12 charges
Christopher Hazen Hamilton, 50, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 27 to answer 12 charges laid by Woodstock Police. He was remanded to jail to await a bail hearing on May 30 at 11 a.m.
Hamilton was charged with assault involving a female victim, assault by choking, three counts of uttering threats, assault with a weapon (a broken teacup) and attempting to cause injury and suffering to a dog, concerning incidents between March 1 and May 24 in Woodstock.
Hamilton was also charged with assaulting a female victim, uttering threats and mischief causing property damage on May 25, and assaulting a female victim and assault with a weapon (a cigar) on May 26. The alleged incidents occurred in Woodstock.
Released with conditions
John Eric Somerville, 36, of Juniper, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 27 and was released with conditions, including a curfew. He returns to court for plea on five charges on June 25 at 1:30 p.m.
RCMP charged Somerville with uttering threats, mischief causing property damage, and assault involving a male victim on April 28 in Juniper. He is also facing charges of breaching a no-contact order and uttering threats on May 26 at Juniper. He was arrested and jailed until his court appearance the next day.
Held for bail hearing
Cain Glendon Sparkes, 40, of Richibucto Road, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 27 on three charges laid by RCMP. He returns to court in custody for a bail hearing on May 29 at 1:30 p.m.
Sparkes was charged with two counts of being at large on a release order and possession of a stolen vehicle in connection with an incident on May 24 at Lower Knoxford.
New charges of drug trafficking
William Jarred O’Donnell, 28, of Grafton, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 27 to face three counts of drug trafficking.
Woodstock Police charged him with possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, and possession of fentanyl, all for the purpose of trafficking in connection with an incident on May 21 in Woodstock. He was remanded to jail on May 22 and returns to court for a bail hearing on May 30 at 9:30 a.m.
On May 21, Woodstock Police charged O’Donnell with breaching a release order and theft of mail.
Neqotkuk woman awaiting bail hearing
Leah Driscoll, 43, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 28 to face new charges laid by RCMP. She returns to court in custody for a bail hearing on May 29 at 1:30 p.m.
Driscoll was arrested and charged with breaching a release order on May 27 and resisting arrest on April 29.
She also appeared in provincial court on Dec. 19, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to three other charges laid by RCMP. A trial date was set for Oct. 31 at 9:30 a.m.
Driscoll was charged with obstructing a police officer and two counts of willfully neglecting an animal (two dogs) concerning an incident on July 23, 2023, at Neqotkuk.
Two arrested and held in custody
Kelsey Janetta Brooker, 30, of Florenceville-Bristol, appeared in provincial court in custody on May 28 and was remanded to jail. She returns to court in custody by video for a bail hearing on May 30 at 1:30 p.m.
RCMP charged Brooker with being at large on a release order for an incident on May 27 at Perth-Andover. More charges are pending. She has a prior criminal record.
Regis Bowmaster, 30, of Bairdsville, also appeared in court in custody on May 28. He was arrested on a warrant and charged with breaching of a release order by failing to appear in court on Feb. 13.
Bowmaster was remanded to jail and returns to court in custody by video for a bail hearing on May 30 at 1:30 p.m. More charges are pending.
Moncton man fined $1,950
Ryley Smith, 28, of Moncton, was fined $1,950 when he appeared for sentencing in provincial court on May 28. He was also placed on probation for 12 months.
Smith had a prior criminal record. RCMP charged him with assault with a weapon (a bottle), assault involving a female victim, breach of probation, and breach of an undertaking concerning an incident on July 25, 2023, at a campground in Lower Woodstock.
Smith pleaded guilty to both breaches. He was found not guilty of assault.
He appeared in provincial court in custody for a bail hearing on Aug. 8, 2023, and was released with conditions. The court heard Smith was working full-time in the construction industry.
Trial adjourned to next year
Cole Tweedie, 30, of Greenfield, will appear for trial in provincial court on May 23, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. after pleading not guilty to sexual assault.
RCMP charged Tweedie in connection with a June 18, 2022 incident near Beechwood. On May 16, Defence Counsel Alex Pate requested the trial be moved to the new date next year.
In custody on new charges
Mitchell Sutthery, 38, of Arthurette, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 27 and waived his bail until later. He returns to court in custody for plea on three charges on June 20 at 9:30 a.m.
Sutthery was arrested on May 24 and charged by RCMP with breach of a conditional sentence order, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer, and breach of probation. He was arrested and taken to jail on the weekend.
Fredericton man to stand trial
Dana Spencer, 41, of Fredericton, appeared in provincial court on May 28 and pleaded not guilty to three charges laid by RCMP. His trial date was set for February 2025. A monitoring date was also scheduled for Sept. 24 at 9:30 a.m.
Spencer appeared in court in custody for a bail hearing on April 29 and was released with conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle. RCMP charged him with assaulting a woman and uttering threats on April 15 in Maplehurst and breach of an undertaking by violating a no-contact order on April 24 at Maplehurst.
Spencer was also charged with refusing a breathalyzer demand on Aug. 19, 2023, at Florenceville-Bristol. He pleaded not guilty, and a trial date was set for Jan. 9, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
Zealand man pleads not guilty
Sheldon Marr Brewer, 26, of Zealand, will appear for trial in provincial court on May 8, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. after pleading not guilty to charges laid by the RCMP. His lawyer entered his not-guilty plea during a court appearance on May 28.
Marr-Brewer was in custody for a bail hearing in Woodstock on March 15. He was released with conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle, but was brought back into custody. The crown said it intended to revoke his release order when he appeared in court in Fredericton on other charges. He made a court appearance in custody by video on May 2.
RCMP charged Brewer with breaking into a dwelling house, resisting arrest, flight from police, and dangerous driving concerning an incident on March 12 near Cloverdale.
He was arrested on a warrant following a police chase that began in the Cloverdale area. The vehicle crashed into a ditch, and the driver fled on foot. Shortly after, police received a report of a man smashing his way into a nearby home by kicking down a door to hide from police. The homeowner fled uninjured.
The suspect eventually left the house and ran into the woods. Drones and police dogs were called to assist in the search. The man was later spotted in Millville and was finally captured in Coldstream.
Awaiting plea on theft charges
Ian Stewart Bishop, 41, of Perth-Andover, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 28 for plea on charges laid by RCMP. The matter was adjourned until June 11 at 11 a.m. at the request of his defence counsel.
Bishop was denied bail when appeared in court in custody by video on April 25. RCMP arrested him in connection with two break-ins, one at the local civic centre and another at a dwelling house in Perth-Andover.
Bishop was charged with breaking and entering at a dwelling house and theft of tools on March 30 and breaking and entering and theft of tools at the River Valley Civic Centre on April 1. Bishop has a prior criminal record.
Awaiting sentencing on trafficking charges
Ronald McLaughlin, 33, of St. Stephen, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 2 and pleaded guilty to five charges laid by RCMP. His sentencing date was set for July 16 at 1:30 p.m.
McLaughlin appeared in provincial court in custody on Jan. 30. RCMP charged him with dangerous driving, driving while suspended, and driving without insurance, stemming from an incident on Jan. 29 in Grafton. The court heard he is being held in custody on other charges in Saint John.
On April 12, McLaughlin was also charged with possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking in connection with the same incident in Grafton. On May 2, an additional charge was laid for failing to appear in court on March 5.
Another arrest warrant was issued on May 28 for a co-accused, Erica Ann Trecartin, 28, of Lower Brighton.
Sentencing adjourned until June
Rhonda Perley, 59, of Neqotkuk, appeared in provincial court for sentencing on May 28 after pleading guilty to trafficking in cocaine. At the crown’s request, the matter was adjourned until June 25 at 1:30 p.m. A new sentencing date will be set at that time.
RCMP charged Perley with an incident on Feb. 27, 2020, at Neqotkuk. On May 28, she pleaded guilty to driving without a valid driver’s licence for a separate incident and was fined $292.50.
A co-accused, Jeffrey Phillips, 60, of Neqotkuk, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for drug trafficking when he appeared in provincial court on April 3.
Phillips pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking for an incident on Feb. 28, 2020, at Neqotkuk. The crown withdrew two other charges. Phillips had a prior criminal record for drug possession.
RCMP charged them after undercover police officers purchased cocaine from them at their home in Neqotkuk. The crown said the officers dealt with Phillips to make the purchase, but Perley was inside the house and aware of what was happening. Perley also talked to the officers about the deal and possible future deals.
Awaiting trial on multiple charges
Hilton Romeo Fredericks, 26, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court on May 28 and pleaded not guilty to breaching his release order. His trial date was set for Jan. 13, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.
Fredericks was charged by Woodstock Police stemming from an incident between Feb. 16 and March 16 in Woodstock. He appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 7 and was released with conditions, including house arrest and wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle.
Fredericks pleaded not guilty to several other charges laid by Woodstock Police. Trial dates were set for Jan. 13 and Jan. 15, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. During his release, he is residing in a trailer in York County.
On April 15, he appeared in provincial court in custody by video to answer a charge of breaching his release order. On April 13, Woodstock Police charged him with being at large on a release order. He was wearing an ankle bracelet at the time. He waived his bail on April 18 and was remanded.
He appeared in provincial court in custody on April 11 for a bail hearing on a charge of breaching his release order. He was released with conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle.
Woodstock Police charged him with breaching his release order by being at large at a Woodstock residence and by violating a no-contact order on April 6.
Fredericks appeared in court in custody on April 4 and was charged with assaulting another man concerning an incident on April 2 in Woodstock. He was released with conditions but returned to custody.
He also appeared in provincial court in custody on March 18 on a charge of breaching his release order laid by Woodstock Police. He was released with conditions at that time but was re-arrested.
Fredericks appeared in provincial court on March 12 and pleaded not guilty to two other charges laid by Woodstock Police. Woodstock Police charged him with assault involving a female victim and breach of an undertaking in connection with an incident on Jan. 23 in Woodstock. He was brought into custody on Jan. 26 and spent the weekend in jail.
Charged with child pornography
Brent Dawson, 29, of Gagetown, appeared in provincial court on May 28 to answer a charge of possession of child pornography. The matter was adjourned for plea until June 19 at 9:30 a.m.
Dawson appeared in provincial court in custody by video on April 29 and was released with conditions after spending the weekend in jail.
He was charged by RCMP for an incident on April 26 at Belleville. He was ordered to have no contact with children and must not access the Internet or a computer system.
New trial date for Johnville man
Brandon Schriver, 22, of Johnville, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 28 to set another date for his trial after pleading not guilty to charges laid by RCMP. His trial date was rescheduled for Sept. 26 at 9:30 a.m. He remains in custody.
Schriver appeared in court in custody on Feb. 29 for a bail hearing and was remanded to jail. RCMP charged him with possession of prohibited weapons (brass knuckles and three knives), assaulting a police officer with a weapon, flight from police, dangerous driving, driving while prohibited, possession of a stolen vehicle, and breach of probation in connection with an incident on Feb. 22 in Johnville.
Police arrested Schriver after receiving a report of two suspicious vehicles at a residence in Johnville. Upon arrival, police saw an individual jump into a vehicle, which then rammed the police car before fleeing at a high rate of speed. Police then followed the vehicle until it eventually came to a stop. The driver exited the vehicle but was quickly apprehended by police. No one was injured during the incident.
Perth-Andover man returning for plea
James Blair Hovey, 27, of Perth Andover, appeared in provincial court on May 28 to answer two charges laid by RCMP. The matter was adjourned for plea until June 18 at 9:30 a.m. to allow him more time to secure legal counsel.
RCMP charged Hovey with possession of a stolen vehicle and breach of probation stemming from an incident on Jan. 9 at Carlingford. He appeared in provincial court in custody via teleconference on May 21 after being arrested on a warrant for failing to appear in court. He was released with conditions.
Hovey appeared in provincial court on April 30 and pleaded not guilty to other charges laid by RCMP. His trial date was set for May 9, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. RCMP charged him with possession of a stolen ATV, flight from police, and breach of probation concerning an incident on March 30 at Tobique Narrows.
Hovey appeared in provincial court in custody by video on April 2 and was released with conditions, including a curfew, but failed to return to court on May 7.
Charge transferred to Saint John
Dawson Jason Kinney, 22, of New Denmark, appeared in provincial court in custody via teleconference on May 28 and requested his charge be transferred to Saint John.
Kinney was charged by RCMP with impaired driving (by drugs) in connection with an incident on Dec. 6, 2023, at Sisson Ridge. He told the court he was now living in Saint John and intended to plead guilty to the offence. The matter was adjourned until Aug. 27 at 9:30 a.m. to confirm the charge has been transferred.
Moved to alternative measures
Tobi Amanda Paul, 50, of Lower Woodstock, appeared in provincial court on May 28 to answer two charges laid by RCMP.
The crown agreed to divert the charges to the alternative measures program. Paul must complete the program’s requirements by Aug. 27 at 9:30 a.m. to have the charges withdrawn.
Paul appeared in court in custody on May 16 after being arrested on a warrant for failing to appear in court. She turned herself in to sheriffs at the courthouse and was later released with conditions.
She was charged with assault and committing mischief causing property damage to a vehicle in an incident on Jan. 14 at Hay Settlement. She made her first court appearance on April 16 but did not return to court for a plea.
Pelkey faces additional charge
Andrew Pelkey, 44, of Plymouth Road, appeared in provincial court on May 28 to answer a charge of failing to appear in court. He returns to court for plea on June 18 at 9:30 a.m.
Pelkey appeared in provincial court in custody for a bail hearing on Feb. 5 and was released with conditions. He was arrested on a warrant when he appeared for trial in provincial court on Feb. 2. His trial was adjourned until July 19 at 9:30 a.m.
The warrant was issued after Pelkey failed to appear in court for plea on Dec. 19, 2023. He was also charged with breaching his release order by violating his curfew following an incident in Woodstock on Sept. 30, 2023.
He appeared for trial in provincial court on Nov. 30, 2023, on eight other charges laid by the RCMP. The trial was adjourned at the request of his defence counsel, but due to his arrest, it did not proceed as scheduled.
At an earlier court appearance, Pelkey pleaded not guilty to assault with a weapon (a belt, glass bottle and stick), assault by choking, uttering threats, assault, pointing a firearm at another person, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace (BB guns and a pellet gun), careless use of a firearm, and willfully causing pain to a dog by shooting it with a pellet gun. The charges were laid in connection with incidents between Feb. 1 and March 21, 2023, near Richmond Corner. The alleged threats and assaults involve a female victim.
Pelkey appeared in provincial court in custody for a bail hearing on March 31, 2023. He was released with conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle.
