Prison term expected for Windsor man
A federal prison term is expected for a Windsor man when he returns to court for sentencing in September.
Jacob Alexander Roy, 27, of Windsor, appeared for trial in provincial court in custody via video on Aug. 29 and changed his plea to guilty on charges laid by the Woodstock Police. He was released from custody on conditions until his sentencing on Sept. 26 at 1:30 p.m.
Roy was released on Friday under full house arrest with the requirement to wear an electronic monitor device attached to his ankle. He had been in custody since February. The Crown will be asking for a federal prison term, so his defence counsel requested his temporary release to attend to his personal affairs.
Roy pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, breach of a release order, and carrying a concealed weapon (plastic knuckles), following an incident in Woodstock on Aug. 3, 2024. The Crown withdrew three other charges.
The court heard that Roy was stopped by the Woodstock Police when plastic knuckles were found in his pocket. A search of his vehicle uncovered drug paraphernalia, digital scales, and a quantity of crystal meth and cocaine inside a shaving kit. His cell phone contained data consistent with drug trafficking activity.
Roy appeared in provincial court in custody on June 26 for a bail hearing and waived his bail until a later date.
Released on peace bond
Trevor Gerald McDougall, 34, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court in custody via video on Aug. 28 for a monitoring hearing regarding his trial scheduled for October. He agreed to sign a 12-month peace bond, and the trial did not proceed.
McDougall appeared in provincial court in custody by video for a bail hearing on July 21 and was denied bail. He was charged with assaulting a female victim and breach of probation in connection with an incident on July 17 in Woodstock.
On Aug. 28, Judge Henrik Tonning stayed the probation charge with the consent of the Crown, while the peace bond will result in the assault charge being withdrawn. McDougall was ordered to have no contact with the complainant after his release.
Bail hearing adjourned
Cole Paul Smith, 30, of Johnville, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Aug. 29 for a bail hearing. At the request of his defence counsel, the bail hearing was adjourned. A new date for his bail hearing will be set when he returns to court in custody on Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m.
Smith was arrested on a warrant on June 30. The RCMP charged him with breaching a release order by violating electronic monitoring and mischief after causing damage to his ankle bracelet during an incident on June 24 at Mapledale. He was also charged with flight from police, breaching his house arrest and dangerous driving for an incident on June 29 at East Brighton.
Smith appeared in provincial court in custody by video for a bail hearing on May 1 and was released with conditions, but returned to custody. He faces an additional charge of breaching a no-contact order on May 29.
Woodstock Police also charged him with assault with a weapon (a metal stool) and two counts of uttering threats on April 10-11 in Woodstock.
The RCMP charged him with assault involving a female victim, unlawful confinement, and two counts of uttering threats concerning another incident between Nov. 15 and Nov. 30, 2024, in Johnville. He was ordered to have no contact with the complainants.
Smith also appeared in provincial court on April 8 and pleaded not guilty to three other charges laid by the RCMP. His trial date was set for March 30, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. He was charged with uttering threats, assault by choking and unlawful entry at a dwelling house on Oct. 22, 2024, at Johnville. The court heard his trial date will have to be moved up if he remains in custody.
Trial adjourned to October
Jeffrey Richard Bull, 45, of Newburg, appeared for trial in provincial court on Aug. 29 on two charges laid by the Woodstock Police. The trial was adjourned, and a monitoring hearing was set for Oct. 8 at 1:30 p.m. The court heard that a possible resolution is being sought with the crown, or a new trial date will be required.
Bull was charged with aggravated assault and breach of probation concerning an incident on Sept. 8, 2024, at 2 a.m., when a man suffered a broken elbow after being struck by a bat on St. James Street in Woodstock. The alleged victim was a newcomer to the town for only three days.
Bull was also charged bythe RCMP with breaking into a dwelling house and breach of probation stemming from an incident on March 16 at Bulls Creek. He pleaded not guilty.
He appeared in provincial court in custody by video for a bail hearing on March 27 and was released with conditions, including house arrest with permission to attend work, and the requirement to wear an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle. Those restrictions were lifted during his court appearance on Aug. 7. However, Bull must still follow a curfew.
House arrest, probation
Nekko Dominique, 32, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), was handed six months of house arrest and 18 months of probation when he appeared in provincial court in custody for sentencing on Aug. 28.
Dominique pleaded guilty to breach of probation on Jan. 21 at Neqotkuk; theft of a cash box from a shop at Neqotkuk on March 26; breaching his curfew on June 23 at Neqotkuk; mischief causing property damage to the interview room at the RCMP station on June 26; mischief causing damage to his ankle bracelet on July 2 at Wotstak (Woodstock First Nation); breach of a release order on July 2 at Perth-Andover, and resisting arrest in Perth-Andover on July 9.
He appeared in provincial court in custody for a bail hearing on July 11 and waived his bail. The court heard he will be attending a rehab facility in Moncton during his house arrest.
Guilty pleas expected
An Upper Woodstock man is expected to plead guilty to at least six of 11 charges laid by Woodstock Police in relation to a road rage incident on May 27 at the intersection of Main Street and Deakin Drive.
Wyatt Mark Belyea, 28, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Aug. 28 for a monitoring hearing.
Defence Counsel Bronwyn Mooney told the court that Belyea intends to plead guilty to at least six charges, but more time is needed to reach a full resolution with the Crown on the remaining charges. He returns to court in custody on Sept. 4 at 9:30 a.m. for another monitoring hearing.
Belyea had trial dates set for Nov. 17 and Nov. 28 at 9:30 a.m. Those dates will be vacated once all matters are resolved.
Belyea was charged with uttering threats, pointing a firearm at another person, driving while prohibited, carelessly transporting a firearm, possession of a firearm (a SKS semi-automatic rifle) without a licence, being an occupant of a vehicle knowing it carried a firearm, possession of a firearm while prohibited from having it, failing to surrender a firearm licence when required, assaulting a police officer with a weapon (a vehicle), flight from police, and refusing a breathalyzer demand.
Belyea appeared in court in custody via teleconference on May 28 and waived his bail until a later date. Following his arrest, a long-barreled rifle with an attached bayonet was located and seized from a pickup truck. He has a prior criminal record.
In custody awaiting sentencing
William (Billy) Harding, 35, of Plaster Rock, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on Aug. 28 and pleaded guilty to several charges laid by the RCMP. His sentencing date was set for Sept. 25 at 9:30 a.m.
Harding was denied bail on July 30. He appeared in court in custody by video on July 29 for a fitness hearing following a 30-day mental health assessment at the Restigouche hospital. He was found fit to stand trial.
On Aug. 28, he pleaded guilty to unlawful entry at a dwelling house, mischief causing damage to his ankle bracelet, and one count of breaching his release order on June 7 in Perth-Andover.
He also pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon (a knife) involving a male victim on May 11 at Perth Andover. The Crown withdrew one other weapons charge.
Harding was also charged by Woodstock Police with theft from the Superstore and breach of probation following an incident on Sept. 10, 2024, in Woodstock. He pleaded guilty to both offences.
He also pleaded guilty to theft of a laptop from Social Development in Perth-Andover on March 12, 2024; breach of probation on March 20, 2024; and breach of probation by failing to report between Dec. 12, 2023, and Sept. 3, 2024. He had a prior criminal record.
The court heard he also has a sentencing hearing in Edmundston on Sept. 22 in connection with other matters in that jurisdiction.
Charged with robbery with violence
Tearston Lee Saulis, 30, of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), appeared for trial in provincial court in custody on Aug. 28 after pleading not guilty to a robbery charge. His trial was adjourned until Sept. 10 at 9:30 a.m.
Saulis appeared in court in custody by video on June 27 and waived his bail. He was charged by the RCMP with robbery of a motor vehicle with violence on March 26 at Neqotkuk. The court heard he allegedly struck a woman during the incident.
At an earlier court appearance, Saulis was ordered to undergo a five-day mental health assessment at the Restigouche hospital. He was found fit to stand trial in accordance with his medical report.
Saulis appeared in court in custody by video from federal prison on June 3. He was arrested in March on a Canada-wide warrant issued by Correctional Services Canada for an alleged parole violation. His federal sentence expires this month. However, he told the court he was currently in remand at a provincial jail.
He pleaded guilty to uttering threats and possession of a weapon for the purpose of committing an offence for another incident between May 22 and May 24 at Renous. Those charges were transferred from Miramichi. A sentencing will be held when he returns to court in custody on Sept. 10.
Trial next week for Woodstock man
Travis Wade Johnston, 38, of Woodstock, will appear for trial in provincial court on Sept. 3 at 9:30 a.m. after pleading not guilty to several charges laid by Woodstock Police.
Johnston was charged with two counts of uttering threats, assault involving a female victim, unlawful confinement, committing mischief by removing data from a cell phone, and criminal harassment concerning a series of incidents that took place in Woodstock between Sept. 1-30, 2023, on Feb. 17 and Jan. 31, 2024, and between Aug. 1, 2023 and March 12, 2024.
Johnston was released on an undertaking until his trial. He was also charged with two counts of breaching a no-contact order for alleged incidents on March 25 and April 2, 2024, in Woodstock. Those two charges were withdrawn by the crown when Johnston appeared in provincial court on Aug. 28.
Johnston appeared in provincial court in custody in March 2024 and was released with conditions following a bail hearing.
Charged with copper wire theft
Dana MacLean, 59, of no fixed address, appeared for trial in provincial court on Aug. 28 after pleading not guilty to theft and mischief charges laid by the RCMP.
The trial was adjourned at the request of his defence counsel. The court heard that a possible resolution is being sought with the Crown, and a new trial date will be set, if required, on Sept. 9 at 9:30 a.m.
MacLean pleaded not guilty to committing mischief, causing property damage, and indictable theft of copper wire in connection with an incident on July 24, 2024, near Plymouth Road.
In rehab, awaiting sentence
Tanna Wright, 27, of Perth-Andover, appeared for sentencing in provincial court on Aug. 28 on five charges laid by the RCMP. Her sentencing was adjourned until Oct. 29 at 9:30 a.m. to allow her more time in rehab.
Wright pleaded guilty to breaching a no-contact order concerning an incident on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 at Weaver. The Crown withdrew several other charges.
She also pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon (knives and a bat) and two counts of uttering threats on Dec. 16, 2023, in Greenfield, and guilty to theft of a wallet for a separate incident on June 19, 2024, in Perth-Andover.
Wright appeared in provincial court in custody by video on July 28 for a bail hearing. She was released with conditions to a rehab facility in Tracey Mills with an ankle bracelet and under full house arrest. Her ankle bracelet was removed after her court appearance on Aug. 28.
Possession of child pornography
Corey Dean Bartlett, 56, of Perth-Andover, appeared in provincial court in custody by video for a bail hearing on Aug. 28. His bail hearing was adjourned until Sept. 4 at 1:30 p.m. at the request of his defence counsel.
Bartlett was charged by the RCMP with possession of child pornography in connection with an incident on Feb. 7, 2017, at Tobique Narrows. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial was scheduled for Nov. 28 at 9:30 a.m.
Hospital stay delays proceedings
Andrew St. Peter, 32, of Plaster Rock, was scheduled to appear in provincial court on Aug. 29 for a monitoring hearing regarding his trial, but he did not attend.
Defence Counsel Valerie Daigle explained her client was just released from a psychiatric hospital. Judge Natalie LeBlanc granted an adjournment until Sept. 23 at 9:30 a.m. to allow the defence more time to contact him.
St. Peter appeared in provincial court on April 8 via teleconference and pleaded not guilty to five charges laid by the RCMP. His trial date was set for April 16, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
St. Peter was charged with two counts of breaching a release order by failing to report to police between Jan. 1 and March 11 at Weaver, and three counts of uttering threats on March 10 at Weaver. He appeared in provincial court in custody by video on March 13 for a bail hearing and was released with conditions.
Arrest warrant issued
The court issued an arrest warrant for Bonnie Noel, 55, of Woodstock, after she failed to appear for trial in provincial court on Aug. 28.
Noel pleaded not guilty to several charges including assault, breaching an undertaking, and breaching a peace bond for an incident on Aug. 6, 2024; breach of an undertaking (no contact) on Feb. 18, 2024, at Canterbury, breach of an undertaking (no contact) and breach of curfew on April 1, 2024, at North Lake, and breach of an undertaking (no contact) on Jan. 21, 2024, at North Lake.
The court heard she is currently in custody in Ontario.
