Bail denied for Neqotkuk woman charged in violent kidnapping
A Neqotkuk woman is the third individual to be denied bail following a violent kidnapping at Tobique First Nation in April. A total of seven people have been charged in relation to the incident.
Ashley Paul, 33, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on June 27 for her bail hearing. Judge Henrik Tonning remanded her to jail on multiple charges laid by RCMP. She returns to court in custody on July 18 at 9:30 a.m. to set a trial date on some charges and to enter a plea on others.
Paul was charged with two counts of unlawful confinement, kidnapping, theft of a motor vehicle, and attempting to obstruct justice by disposing of evidence concerning the abduction and assault of a woman on April 27-29. She will enter a plea to these charges at her court appearance on July 18.
Paul pleaded not guilty to unlawful entry at a dwelling house and breach of probation on Feb. 14 at Neqotkuk, assaulting another woman and breach of probation on March 2 at Perth-Andover, obstructing police on April 11 at Neqotkuk, and failing to appear in court on March 19.
A trial date of Oct. 7 at 9:30 a.m. was set for the March 2 and April 11 incidents. A trial date for the Feb. 14 incident will be set at her next court appearance.
Paul was also charged with uttering a forged document ($2,000), possession of stolen cheques, fraud, and breach of probation for an incident on Oct. 10, 2023, at Perth-Andover. She will enter a plea to this set of charges at her next court appearance on July 18. Paul has a limited prior criminal record.
Defence Counsel Leah Toner told the court that a resolution with the crown may be sought to resolve all the charges against her client before her next court appearance.
Troy Pelkey, 56, of Tilley, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on June 18 and pleaded not guilty to four charges related to the alleged kidnapping. His three-day trial was set for Sept. 11-13 at 9:30 a.m. Pelkey was denied bail on May 10.
Adam Perley, 33, of Neqotkuk, appeared in court in custody by video for a bail hearing on May 30 and was denied bail. He returns to court in custody for plea on July 16 at 10 a.m.
Jacob Perley, 34, of Neqotkuk, also appeared in court in custody by video on June 18 and waived his bail until later. Sixteen charges were adjourned for plea until July 9 at 9:30 a.m.
Perley was also charged with breaching a conditional sentence order (house arrest). He appeared in custody by video on June 3 and was remanded to complete the rest of his sentence (317 days) behind bars.
On June 18, Jacob Perley was also ordered to serve another 27 days in jail for defaulting on a $1,200 fine for suspended driving. He will also stand trial in January on fraud charges.
Keagan Paul, 32, and Preston Sockabasin, 27, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on June 6 for their bail hearings.
They were released with conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to their ankles. They must also follow a curfew and undergo a 90-day drug rehabilitation program in their community.
Both men were ordered to abstain from alcohol and drugs, and they were prohibited from possessing firearms. Paul and Sockabasin were also ordered to have no contact with the victim or any of the five others charged in the crime.
Keagan Paul returns to court for plea on July 4 at 1:30 p.m.
Preston Sockabasin will appear for plea on July 8 at 9:30 a.m. Sockabasin also faces separate charges of dangerous driving and flight from police for an incident on May 7.
Sheena Sappier, 36, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 31 for her bail hearing. She was released with conditions, including a curfew and wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to her ankle. She must also enter a drug rehab program in her community.
Sappier returns to court for plea on July 4 at 9:30 a.m. and must have no contact with the victim or any of the co-accused.
The victim, a 54-year-old woman from Florenceville-Bristol, was kidnapped at gunpoint, held against her will for two days, assaulted, and administered a noxious substance with intent to extort $10,000. She was treated at a hospital with significant but non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released.
A total of 62 charges were laid, including using a handgun to kidnap a female victim, extortion, uttering threats, assault, assault causing bodily harm, administering a noxious substance, forcible confinement using a choke hold, plastic bag and tape, possession of a prohibited firearm, pointing a firearm, careless use of a firearm, resisting arrest, unlawful confinement, theft of a motor vehicle, obstructing justice by disposing of evidence, and possession of a firearm without a licence.
The RCMP police dog service and air services assisted with the kidnapping investigation and arrests of the seven individuals charged. Police say the investigation is ongoing. A search warrant was executed at a residence at Neqotkuk on May 6.
Maine man charged with border offence
Robert Louis Cherrier, 44, of Caribou, Maine, appeared in provincial court on June 25 on two charges for allegedly having a handgun in his possession at the Woodstock/Houlton border crossing.
Cherrier was charged under the Customs Act with failing to report goods in his possession (a Glock 34, 40-calibre handgun) and making false statements to border officials stemming from an incident on Feb. 20. He was released on an undertaking and returned to court for plea on July 23 at 9:30 a.m.
Released with conditions
Robert McFarlane, 39, of Florenceville-Bristol, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on June 27 on charges laid by RCMP. He was released with conditions and returns to court for plea on July 23 at 9:30 a.m.
McFarlane was charged with assaulting another man on April 4 at Florenceville-Bristol, breaking into a dwelling house, committing mischief causing property damage to a door, and breach of an undertaking on May 4 in Johnville. He was arrested on a warrant.
McFarlane was ordered to follow a curfew, have no contact with the complainant and stay away from a residence in Johnville. He was also prohibited from the use of firearms.
Arrest warrant issued
The court issued an arrest warrant for Megan Elizabeth Lewis, 30, of no fixed address, after she failed to appear in provincial court for sentencing on June 28.
Lewis appeared in provincial court on June 12 and changed her plea to guilty on five charges laid by Woodstock Police. She was released on an undertaking until her sentencing.
On June 28, the court heard she was living at a homeless shelter in Fredericton but was not present at the facility when her lawyer arrived to drive her to court in Woodstock. The defence described Lewis as a “vulnerable person.”
Lewis was charged with unlawful entry at a dwelling house, assaulting another woman, committing mischief causing property damage to a door, two counts of assaulting a police officer, and breach of probation for an incident on Dec. 28, 2023, in Woodstock. The crown withdrew the charge of unlawful entry.
Lewis appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 21 for a bail hearing. She was released to a rehab facility in Shediac but left the facility in breach of her release order. On June 12, she told the court she did not want to go back.
Lewis spent several months in custody before being sent to rehab. The court heard that the crown and defence were to make a joint recommendation of time served and probation at her sentencing hearing, but she failed to appear.
Facing breathalyzer charge
Andrew Keith Brown, 62, of Woodstock, will appear for trial in provincial court on June 11, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. after pleading not guilty to a breathalyzer charge.
Woodstock Police charged Brown with refusing a breathalyzer demand concerning an incident on March 20 in Woodstock. He first appeared on June 25 and entered his not-guilty plea.
Turner pleads not guilty
Marshall Turner, 23, of Beaconsfield, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on June 27 and pleaded not guilty to several charges against him by RCMP. He returns to court in custody on July 25 at 9:30 a.m. to set a trial date.
Turner was charged with possession of stolen vehicle, flight from police, breach of probation and possession of a stolen fuel pump in connection with a police chase across Carleton North on April 23 that ended in Johnville.
He was also charged with possession of a stolen vehicle on April 13 in Greenfield, possession of a stolen vehicle, breach of probation, and dangerous driving on April 18 in Greenfield.
Turner appeared in provincial court in custody by video on June 18 and waived his bail until later. He has a prior criminal record and has been in custody since his arrest in April. The court heard the defence may seek a resolution with the crown before Turner’s next court date.
A co-accused, Kelsey Janetta Brooker, 30, of Florenceville-Bristol, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on June 21 and changed her plea to guilty to being at large on a release order. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail consecutive to the time she was already serving for breaching a conditional sentence order. Brooker has a prior criminal record.
Held in custody on breach charge
Brittany Francis, 34, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), appeared in provincial court in custody by video on June 27 to answer a charge of breaching her conditional sentence order. She was arrested on a warrant.
Francis denied the breach and was remanded into custody to await a hearing on July 11 at 9:30 a.m. The RCMP charged her with breaching curfew on Feb. 15 at Neqotkuk.
Francis received a 180-day conditional sentence order of house arrest in January after pleading guilty to several theft charges. Her house arrest included following a curfew.
Bail hearing rescheduled
Zachary Sarchfield, 30, of Wotstak (Woodstock First Nation), formerly of Hartland, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on June 27 for a bail hearing. The bail hearing was adjourned until July 15 at 1:30 p.m. at the request of his defence counsel.
Sarchfield was arrested on a warrant. RCMP charged him with two counts of unlawful confinement, assault, and possession of a weapon for the purpose of committing an offence.
He appeared in provincial court in custody via teleconference on Jan. 18 after being arrested on a warrant in Fredericton. He was released with conditions but failed to return to court for plea in February. Sarchfield also failed to appear in court to answer charges on Jan. 16 and a warrant was issued.
Agreed to peace bond
Thomas Maurice Seguin, 28, of Woodstock, appeared for trial in provincial court on June 27 after pleading not guilty to an assault charge. He agreed to sign a 12-month peace bond and the trial did not proceed. The peace bond will result in the charge being withdrawn.
Seguin was charged by Woodstock Police with assault causing bodily harm to another man in connection with an incident on April 1, 2023, in Woodstock. He entered his not-guilty plea at a court appearance on Aug. 22, 2023.
