Nine months in jail for violent domestic assault
Andrew Pelkey, 43, of Plymouth Road, was sentenced to nine months in jail when he appeared in provincial court for sentencing on Feb. 20 for a series of domestic violence assaults.
Judge Karen Lee also placed him on 24 months of probation and ordered him to register with the federal DNA database. A 20-year prohibition on firearms was also imposed. In addition, Pelkey must attend counselling for mental health and alcohol abuse. All guns seized by police during the investigation were forfeited to the crown.
“I trust that as you stated you will learn your lesson from this incarceration,” Judge Lee told the accused.
Lee said Pelkey’s actions involved “profound and sustained violence” over a period of weeks that caused significant physical and psychological harm to his former partner.
“I feel horrible and I would take it back if I could,” Pelkey said before hearing his sentence. “It’s in the past and I’m no longer that person. I’m a better person now. I’d like to better my life and live peacefully with everybody.”
Pelkey told the court he had been through detox and treatment for alcohol addiction and wanted no further contact with the victim. He faced eight charges and pleaded guilty to five on summary conviction. He pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon (a belt, bottle and stick), assaulting a woman by choking her, uttering threats, pointing a firearm at another person, and careless use of a gun. He had a limited prior criminal record.
Three other charges of possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace (BB guns and a pellet gun), assault, and willfully causing pain to a dog by shooting it with a pellet gun, were withdrawn by the crown at sentencing. The woman told police two dogs were shot and killed by the accused, but Pelkey refused to admit it. She said she finally fled the home and hitchhiked to safety.
The court heard the charges involved a series of violent domestic assaults between Feb. 1, 2023, and March 21, 2023, at Richmond Corner. The woman suffered head and facial injuries, bruises to her arms and back, and a cut on her leg.
She was kicked, beaten with a leather belt and belt buckle, and hit over the head with a stick of wood and a plastic liquor bottle. Pelkey also pulled her hair, choked her on the living room floor, put a knife to her throat, and tore her clothes.
During one incident, he shot the victim with a BB gun. One other morning, she woke up to a beating when he smashed her in the teeth. She finally went to the police and told them his violent attacks were escalating, and she feared for her life.
Police arrested Pelkey when an emergency intervention order was issued to remove him from the home. Five firearms (BB guns and a pellet gun) were found in the residence and were seized by police.
The woman told the crown it took a month for all of her injuries to heal, and she still suffers from headaches. She has no further contact with the accused and attended court with family members who were seated with her in the gallery.
Pelkey also pleaded guilty to failing to appear in court on Dec. 19, 2023, and breaching his release order by violating curfew on Sept. 30, 2023.
He told the court he wore an ankle bracelet for two years after his arrest and was the subject of public scrutiny as a result of the charges laid by RCMP.
Pair seeks bail following shooting at Mainstream
Patrick Harris, 40, of Fredericton, and Tamara Hamilton, 30, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court in custody by video for their bail hearings on Feb. 20. They were arrested on multiple charges following a shooting in Mainstream on Feb. 17.
Harris was remanded to jail and returns to court for plea on Feb. 27 at 9:30 a.m.
Hamilton was released with conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to her ankle. She was placed under house arrest with a curfew at a residence in Woodstock. She returns to court for plea on Feb. 27 at 9:30 a.m.
Harris was charged with possession of a firearm while prohibited (a sawed-off shotgun), discharging a firearm at a place while reckless as to whether a person was present; possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition without a licence, wearing a mask with intent to commit an offence; uttering threats against another man, breach of probation, pointing a gun at another person, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, and being an occupant of a vehicle (a half-ton truck) knowing it carried a firearm.
Hamilton was charged with possession of a firearm while prohibited (a sawed-off shotgun), possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, discharging a firearm at a place while reckless as to whether a person was present, possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition without a licence, and being an occupant of a vehicle knowing it carried a gun.
The pair was arrested by RCMP inside a garage in Pembroke after a blue half-ton truck was spotted leaving the scene of the shooting in Mainstream on Feb. 17.
Three-day trial for Limestone man
Riley Cowper, 20, of Limestone, will appear in provincial court in custody for his three-day trial in early March following an alleged violent attack on another local man.
RCMP charged Cowper with attempted murder by using a hammer and a wrench to assault Rodney Butler, mischief causing property damage to a car window, uttering threats, and robbery of a vehicle in connection with an incident on Aug. 10, 2024, at Jackson Falls.
He entered his not-guilty plea at a court appearance by video on Nov. 27, 2024. The trial dates were set for March 3, 10, and 14, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.
He was arrested on Aug. 13, 2024, and ordered to have no contact with Butler, who police said was treated at a hospital for injuries and later released. Cowper waived his bail until later.
On Feb. 21, Defence Counsel T.J. Burke advised the court a resolution was being sought with the crown.
Fined $1,950 for impaired driving
Baily Timothy Wilson, 20, of Bedell, appeared for trial in provincial court on Feb. 19 and changed his plea to guilty of impaired driving.
Woodstock Police charged Wilson following an incident on Sept. 23, 2023. He was fined $1,950 and prohibited from driving for one year.
Held for bail hearing
Daniel Jr. Francis, 32, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), appeared in provincial court in custody on Feb. 20. He was remanded to jail to await a bail hearing on Feb. 24 at 11 a.m.
RCMP charged Francis with mischief causing property damage to a door and breach of probation concerning an incident on Feb. 20 at Neqotkuk. He has a prior criminal record.
Sentence pending for assault
Roger Powers, 62, of Wapske, will appear in provincial court on March 3 at 9:30 a.m. for sentencing on an assault charge. His sentencing was first set for Feb. 21 but was adjourned to the new date.
Powers appeared for trial in provincial court on Nov. 27, 2024, after pleading not guilty to sexual assault. He pleaded guilty to common assault, and the crown withdrew the sex charge. RCMP charged him with an incident on June 3, 2023, in Plaster Rock.
Neqotkuk man still in custody
Kyrin Moulton, 19, of Grand Falls, formerly of Neqotkuk, appeared in court in custody by video on Feb. 20 for a bail hearing. The hearing was adjourned until Feb. 27 at 1:30 p.m. at the request of his defence counsel.
Moulton was charged by RCMP with aggravated assault involving another man, breaching a release order, and breach of probation for an incident on Nov. 23, 2024, at Perth-Andover. He had a prior criminal record.
On Feb. 18, he appeared in court in custody for sentencing after pleading guilty to other charges laid by RCMP. He was handed 60 days in jail or time served and 12 months of probation. He was then taken back into custody.
Moulton was charged with assault involving a female victim, breach of probation and possession of stolen prescription medication stemming from an incident on Oct. 22, 2024, in Perth-Andover.
Released with conditions
Zachary Brooks, 21, of Peel, appeared in provincial court in custody on Feb. 20 and was released with conditions. He returns to court for plea on Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m.
RCMP charged Brooks with assaulting a female victim, assault by choking, unlawful confinement and mischief causing property damage to a cell phone on Feb. 12 at Lower Brighton.
Woodstock Police charged him with assaulting a female victim and unlawful confinement for an incident on Feb. 19 in Woodstock.
Brooks also faces a charge of assaulting another woman on Nov. 24, 2024, in Lower Brighton.
Needs legal counsel
Justin Ryan Shea, 36, of Plymouth Road, appeared in provincial court in custody by video for a bail hearing on Feb. 20. He appeared without legal counsel and the hearing was adjourned until March 6 at 9:30 a.m.
RCMP charged Shea with breaching his release order concerning an incident on Feb. 18 in Woodstock.
He also appeared in provincial court on Feb. 4 and pleaded not guilty to two drug trafficking charges. His trial was set for Jan. 26 and Jan. 28, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
Shea was charged by Woodstock Police with trafficking in methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking in connection with incidents in Woodstock on June 30 and May 2, 2024. A pre-trial conference will be held on Oct. 15 at 9:30 a.m.
Shea appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Nov. 7, 2024, for a bail hearing and was released with conditions. He was charged by Woodstock Police with break, enter and theft at a dwelling house on Creighton Street on Sept. 26, 2024, and an additional charge of breaching an undertaking (curfew). He pleaded not guilty, and his trial date was set for July 14 at 9:30 a.m.
A co-accused, James Blair Hovey, 27, of Perth Andover, faces charges for the same alleged break-in and will stand trial with Shea on July 14. Hovey is also facing additional charges, and he remains in custody.
Shea was also charged with mischief causing property damage and break, enter and theft at the East Coast Truck Wash for an incident on March 17, 2024, in Lower Woodstock. He pleaded not guilty and his trial was set for Jan. 2, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. A monitoring date was scheduled for Oct. 22 at 9:30 a.m.
Released with ankle bracelet
Tanna Wright of Perth-Andover appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Feb. 20 for a bail hearing. She was released with conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to her ankle. She returns to court for plea on March 11 at 9:30 a.m.
RCMP charged Wright with breaching a no-contact order, assault, assault by choking and uttering threats against another woman concerning incidents on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 at Weaver.
She is scheduled for trial on July 10 at 9:30 a.m. after pleading not guilty to assault and theft of a wallet in connection with a separate incident.
Remanded on breach charge
Jacob Alexander Roy, 27, of Windsor, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Feb. 19 to answer a breach charge laid by RCMP. He was remanded to jail to await a bail hearing on Feb. 27 at 9:30 a.m.
Roy was charged with breaching a release order by violating the conditions of his house arrest following an incident on Feb. 8 at Coldstream. A plea date will be set at his next court appearance.
Agreed to peace bond
Tusha Mae Sawyer, 46, of Carlingford, appeared in provincial court on Feb. 21 for the continuation of her trial on two charges laid by RCMP.
Sawyer was charged with aggravated assault against another woman and indictable breach of probation in connection with an incident on July 29, 2023, at Gladwyn. The trial began on Dec. 13, 2024, with crown witnesses testifying about an alleged violent altercation between the two women.
The trial continuation on Feb. 21 was cancelled after Sawyer agreed to sign a 12-month peace bond on the assault charge. The crown withdrew the second charge. The peace bond will also result in the assault charge being withdrawn.
Trial on drug trafficking charge
Mohammed Karam Abualhawa, 24, of Fredericton, is scheduled to appear in provincial court for his trial in March on a drug trafficking charge.
Abualhawa was charged by RCMP with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking following an incident on Feb. 21, 2023, at Wotstak (Woodstock First Nation). The charge was laid in connection with a search of a vehicle.
His trial was rescheduled for March 6-7 and March 13 at 9:30 a.m. A pre-trial conference is also slated for March 3. There have been ongoing disclosure issues regarding the file. A hearing was held on Feb. 21.
