1. Two involved in manhunt face serious charges
Two people arrested after a manhunt in Victoria County appeared in provincial court in custody on July 27 to face serious charges laid by RCMP. They were arrested in connection with a series of incidents in the upper river valley.
Wyatt DeLong, 28, of Cloverdale, was charged with discharging a firearm with intent, flight from police, dangerous driving, and breach of probation, in connection with an incident on July 14 at Florenceville-Bristol when shots were allegedly fired at a police officer. DeLong was remanded to jail to await a bail hearing in Fredericton by video on July 31 at 9:30 a.m.
Janice Buchanan, 27, of Perth-Andover, was charged with robbery with violence stemming from an incident on May 29 at Florenceville-Bristol. The alleged theft involved a car, wallet, and cell phone. Buchanan reserved her bail hearing until a later date. She was remanded to jail and returns to court for plea on Aug. 22 at 11 a.m.
2. Centreville men prepare for bail hearings
Connell Ross McLean, 27, and Issak Tedford Thomas, 27, of Centreville, both appeared in provincial court in custody by video on July 26 for their bail hearings on charges related to a series of incidents including a police chase and shots fired.
Both of their bail hearings were adjourned at the request of their defence counsel. Thomas will return to court in custody by video for his bail hearing in Fredericton on Aug. 3 at 9:30 a.m., while McLean’s bail hearing is set for July 31 at 9:30 a.m. in Fredericton. He requested to appear in court in person at that time.
They were each charged by RCMP with possession of a firearm while prohibited, discharge of a firearm (a rifle) with intent, breach of probation, improper storage of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a licence, being an occupant of a vehicle knowing it carried a firearm, obstructing police, and possession of stolen property.
McLean also faces additional charges of flight from police, driving while suspended, and assaulting a police officer.
The two men were arrested following a collision between an off-road vehicle and a police cruiser on Route 105 in Lower Brighton, south of Harland, on July 17. The arrests were related to a Monday morning incident in Speerville, south of Woodstock, which included shots fired at a Speerville resident.
The suspects fled Speerville leading to an hours-long police search and investigation in several communities, including Lakeville, between Centreville and Woodstock, and Lower Brighton.
3. Plaster Rock man faces weapons charge
Andrew Joseph St. Peter, 31, of Plaster Rock, appeared in provincial court in custody on July 26 to answer a weapon charge related to an incident in the village on July 22.
St. Peter was charged by RCMP with possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace. He was released from custody with conditions and returns to court for plea on Aug. 22 at 9:30 a.m. He was arrested after police received reports of a suspect carrying a weapon in the village on Saturday.
St. Peter was on the court docket in June for charges laid under the SPCA Act. He was charged by SPCA officers with willful neglect of an animal and failing to provide medical attention to a dog, concerning incidents on Jan. 1-2 in Plaster Rock. At that time, the court heard St. Peter had been admitted to the Restigouche hospital and could not attend court.
4. Sentenced to 180 days in jail
Austin William Parker, 24, of Weaver, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on July 27 and was sentenced to a total of 180 days in jail, minus time served. He was also placed on probation for 12 months.
Judge Sebastian Michaud also fined Parker a total of $950 and ordered him to seek counseling as required. He was prohibited from the use of firearms and must abstain from alcohol and drugs. A firearm seized during Parker’s arrest was forfeited to the crown. He had no prior criminal record.
Parker pleaded guilty to three counts of assaulting a female victim on July 12, July 13, and July 14, 2022, at Florenceville-Bristol.
Judge Michaud told Parker these were serious offences of domestic violence which demanded jail time. The judge handed him 120 days in jail for the three incidents. The court heard Parker punched and hit a woman several times over a three-day period while they were arguing. Photos of her bruises were entered into evidence by the crown. The accused had a firearm in his possession during the July 14 incident.
Parker received another 60 days on additional charges. He was charged with breaching his curfew and committing mischief for incidents on Aug. 10, 2022, and Aug. 3, 2022, in Perth Andover. He pleaded guilty to the breach and the mischief charge was withdrawn; guilty to possession of a restricted firearm without a licence and improper storage of a firearm on July 14, 2022, at Florenceville-Bristol; guilty to breach of a release order by violating electronic monitoring (ankle bracelet) on Feb. 19 at Bath; guilty to breaching his curfew on March 21 in Bath; and guilty to breach of a release order by violating electronic monitoring (ankle bracelet) on April 17 at Weaver. Several other charges were withdrawn by the crown.
5. Rest of sentence to be served in jail
Elizabeth Alice Davidson, 53, of Nackawic, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on July 26 for a hearing about breaching her house arrest. Judge Sebastian Michaud ordered her to serve the remaining 182 days of her sentence behind bars.
Davidson appeared in provincial court for sentencing on May 25 and received eight months of house arrest. RCMP later charged her with breaching her house arrest and she was taken back into custody. On Wednesday, the court heard she was spotted on video surveillance on June 10 stealing clothing from a store in Woodstock. Davidson admitted to the breach and waived her bail.
“Clearly, she was not complying with her conditional sentence order and was committing offences,” Judge Michaud said. “I gave her house arrest against my better judgment and she proved me right.”
The judge scolded Davidson for “flagrant abuse” of her house arrest.
Davidson told the court she struggled with substance abuse and wanted to go into a rehabilitation facility for 30 days in Nova Scotia.
Judge Michaud said that would have to wait until after her sentence was served, noting she could have already received counseling for addiction during her probation if she had requested it. She spent 37 days in custody since her arrest in June.
Davidson changed her plea to guilty in April on two charges laid by Woodstock Police. She was charged with breaking into a dwelling house and theft of a Samsung tablet in connection with an incident on March 17, 2022, in Woodstock.
She pleaded guilty to the theft and the lesser included offence of unlawful entry at a dwelling house. She had a prior criminal record. She also pleaded guilty to more charges transferred from Saint John, including theft and two counts of breach of probation for incidents on June 7, 2021, and May 13, 2022.
6. Woodstock man waives his bail
Jonathon Perry Bustard, 44, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court in custody on July 27 for a bail hearing on three charges laid by Woodstock Police. He waived his bail and was remanded. Bustard returns to court in custody by video to enter his plea on Aug. 22 at 11:15 a.m.
Bustard was charged with break and enter at a dwelling house, indictable assault against another man, and breach of a peace bond concerning an incident on July 19 at a residence in Woodstock.
7. Neqotkuk man remanded for bail hearing
Dylan Thibodeau, 28, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), appeared in provincial court in custody on July 26 and was remanded to jail. He returns to court for a bail hearing on July 31 at 9:30 a.m. in Fredericton.
Thibodeau was charged by RCMP with breach of a release order, violation of a no-contact order, and failing to comply with an order to abstain from drugs or alcohol following an incident on July 26 at Neqotkuk.
He also appeared in provincial court on July 25 for plea on other charges laid by RCMP. The matter was adjourned until Aug. 22 at 9:30 a.m.
Thibodeau was charged by RCMP with assaulting a female victim, assault by choking, and breach of an undertaking in connection with an incident on June 21 at Neqotkuk. He appeared in provincial court in custody on June 26 for a bail hearing and was released with conditions. He was ordered to report to the police weekly and to stay away from Neqotkuk. He was residing at a residence in Beechwood.
8. Held for bail hearing
Riley Smith of Moncton appeared in provincial court in custody on July 26 and was remanded to jail. He returns to court in custody by video for a bail hearing in Fredericton on July 31 at 1:30 p.m.
Smith was charged by RCMP 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 in Lower Woodstock.
9. Held on warrant in Edmundston
Amber Holt, 32, of Bluebell, appeared in provincial court in custody by video for a bail hearing on July 27 after being arrested on a warrant. She was released with conditions and ordered to return to court for plea on Aug. 1 at 9:30 a.m.
However, Holt told the court for the time being she was still held in custody on a warrant in Edmundston. Once released, she must reside at a residence in Carlingford and report to the police weekly.
Holt was charged by RCMP with possession of a firearm without a licence (.22 Magnum rifle) and careless use of a firearm for an incident on June 22, 2022, in Weaver. A warrant was issued for Holt when she failed to appear in court for plea on the firearm charges.
An earlier warrant was also issued for her in January after she failed to appear in provincial court to answer charges of flight from police and driving while suspended for an incident on Sept. 5, 2022. She is also facing charges of possession of stolen property, fraud, and impersonation.
10. Glassville man awaits sentencing
David Phillips, 67, of Glassville, appeared in provincial court on July 26 and changed his plea to guilty on two charges laid by RCMP. He returns to court for sentencing on Oct. 17 at 1:30 p.m.
Phillips was charged with flight from police, dangerous driving, refusing a breathalyzer demand, impaired driving, and driving while suspended following an incident on Sept. 17, 2021, in Florenceville-Bristol. He pleaded guilty to impaired driving and flight from police. The remaining charges were withdrawn by the crown.
11. Denied bail and remanded
James Blair Hovey, 27, of Perth Andover, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on July 26 for a bail hearing. He was denied bail and remanded to jail. Hovey returns to court for plea on Aug. 15 at 11 a.m.
Hovey appeared in provincial court in custody on June 27 after being arrested on a warrant. He was charged with breach of a release order and failing to attend court for plea on June 13.
Hovey appeared in provincial court in custody on May 18 for a bail hearing and was released with conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle. On June 13, the court heard he was working outside the area near the Quebec border and could not get to court to make his plea.
Hovey was first arrested on a warrant on 12 charges. He was charged by RCMP with two counts of assault on a female victim, two counts of assault with a weapon (a knife and bear spray), three counts of possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, pointing a firearm at another person, careless use of a firearm, possession of a firearm (a shotgun) without a licence, assault while threatening to use a weapon (a machete), and committing mischief causing property damage to an iPhone, laptop computer, and a flat-screen TV. The incidents occurred at Plaster Rock between Dec. 14 and Dec. 20, 2022, and between Feb. 1 and Feb. 28 of this
year.
He appeared in court in custody on May 1 for a bail hearing and was released with conditions but allegedly breached his release order. He was later charged with break and enter at a dwelling house and theft, concerning an incident on May 12.
12. Arrested on charges in Edmundston
Edward Hayes Jr., 27, of Benton, appeared in provincial court in custody on July 26. He was arrested on a warrant in Edmundston but came to court in Woodstock before being transported upriver with his co-accused, Faith Kilcollins of Perth-Andover.
Hayes made his court appearance in custody in Woodstock for monitoring since he refused to attend his trial in provincial court on July 12. A warrant was held on file until he returned.
He pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault and unlawful confinement involving a female victim between May 18 and June 13, 2022, in Summerfield.
On July 12, Defence Counsel Michael Mallory requested an adjournment due to a late disclosure of evidence from the complainant. On July 26, Mallory told the court he would not be proceeding with an application to argue late disclosure.
A new trial date was set for Oct. 19 at 9:30 a.m. Hayes was also scheduled to be sentenced on July 26 on a mischief charge related to a separate incident on June 17, 2022, in Woodstock, when a holding cell was damaged. He pleaded guilty. His sentencing for this offence was moved to the Oct. 19 court appearance.
13. Trial set for Lower Kintore man
Kevin Coutts, 65, of Lower Kintore, will appear for trial in provincial court on May 30, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. after pleading not guilty to an assault charge.
Coutts was charged by RCMP with assault involving a female victim following an incident on June 10 near Kintore. He made his first court appearance on July 25.
14. Returning to court for plea
Gregory Sparks, 23, of no fixed address, will appear in provincial court on Aug. 8 at 9:30 a.m. for plea on two charges laid by RCMP.
Sparks was charged with assault with a weapon (a utility knife) involving a female victim, and uttering threats concerning an incident on April 20 at Centreville. He made his first court appearance on July 25 when the matter was adjourned to the new date.
15. Keswick man remanded
Patrick Harris of Keswick appeared in provincial court in custody by video on July 26 for a bail hearing on charges laid by RCMP. The hearing was adjourned until July 31 at 1:30 p.m. in Fredericton.
Harris was charged with breach of a release order and obstructing police for an incident on July 24 in Hartland.
16. Returning for plea on two charges
Kerry Shawn Dennis, 61, of Woodstock First Nation, will appear in provincial court for plea on Aug. 8 at 9:30 a.m. on two charges laid by Woodstock Police.
Dennis was charged with possession of methamphetamine and carrying a concealed weapon (brass knuckles) stemming from an incident on March 2 in Woodstock. He made his first court appearance on July 25 when the matter was adjourned to the new date.
18. Arrest warrant issued
The court issued an arrest warrant for Brady Melvin Crain, 27, of Wicklow, after he failed to appear for sentencing in provincial court on July 27.
Crain was charged with assault on a female victim and breach of an emergency intervention order concerning incidents on April 29, 2021, and March 14, 2021, in Woodstock. He was also charged by RCMP with breach of a release order on Dec. 6, 2021, at Mount Pleasant. He pleaded guilty.
He appeared in provincial court on April 18 and pleaded not guilty to other charges laid by RCMP. His trial date was set for Jan. 17, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. Crain was charged on April 4 with breaching his release order. He also appeared in provincial court on March 16 on charges of breach of an undertaking, committing mischief, and taking a vehicle without consent in connection with incidents on Aug. 29, 2022, and Oct. 28, 2022, at Perth-Andover.
19. Suspended sentence for probation breach
Darci Marie Cole, 40, of Woodstock, received a suspended sentence and 12 months of probation on July 27 after changing her plea to guilty on one charge laid by Woodstock Police.
Cole was charged with breach of probation by failing to report to her probation officer between April 7, 2021, and Oct. 20, 2021, in Woodstock. She had a prior criminal record.
20. Trial set in mischief case
Eric Buckingham, 59, and Susan Buckingham, 58, of Teeds Mills, will appear for trial in provincial court on June 5, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. after pleading not guilty to a mischief charge.
They were each charged by RCMP with committing mischief causing property damage to a vehicle and the personal belongings of another woman in connection with an incident on March 14 at Teeds Mills. They made their first court appearance on July 25.
21. Facing impaired driving charge
Amit Mann, 40, of Woodstock will appear in provincial court on Aug. 15 at 9:30 a.m. for plea on an impaired driving charge laid by Woodstock Police.
Mann was charged in connection with an incident on Feb. 11 in Woodstock. He made his first court appearance on July 25.
