An alleged kidnapping with violence has rocked the community of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation).
Family members packed into Woodstock Provincial Court on May 9 and wept with emotion as multiple charges were read against six individuals from the First Nation community. A seventh accused from Tilley appeared in custody later that same day.
Jacob Perley, 34, Ashley Paul, 33, Sheena Sappier, 36, Keegan Paul, 32, Preston Sockabasin, 27, Adam Perley, 33, and Troy Pelkey, 56, from Tilley, were arrested by RCMP following an incident on April 27-29 at Neqotkuk. They were remanded to jail to await their bail hearings.
The victim, a 54-year-old woman from Florenceville-Bristol, was kidnapped at gunpoint, held against her will, 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.
Troy Pelkey of Tilley appeared in court on May 10 in custody by video for a bail hearing and was denied bail. He returns to court in custody for plea on May 28 at 9:30 a.m.
Sheena Sappier appeared in court in custody by video on May 9, and her bail hearing was adjourned until May 16 at 1:30 p.m. to allow her time to secure legal counsel.
Jacob Perley, Ashley Paul, Keegan Paul, Adam Perley, and Preston Sockabasin appeared in court in custody by video on May 9, and their bail hearings were adjourned until May 23 at 9:30 a.m. to allow them time to secure legal counsel.
Sockabasin also faces separate charges of dangerous driving and flight from police for an incident on May 7.
Jacob Perley was also charged with breaching a conditional sentence order.
The RCMP police dog service and air services assisted with the investigation and arrests of the individuals charged. Police say the investigation is ongoing. A search warrant was executed at a residence at Neqotkuk on May 6.
40 months in federal prison for Thomas
Isaak Tedford Thomas, 28, of Centreville, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison, minus time served, when he appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 10 after pleading guilty to multiple charges laid by the RCMP.
Judge Cameron Gunn also ordered Thomas to register with the federal DNA database and was prohibited from firearms for life. A loaded shotgun used in committing the offence was forfeited to the crown.
Thomas appeared nervous as he listened to the judge tell the court that gun-related crimes are taken seriously and present grave danger to the public.
Thomas pleaded guilty to careless use of a firearm, guilty to possession of a firearm without a licence, guilty to being an occupant of a vehicle knowing it carried a firearm, guilty to resisting arrest, guilty to possession of a firearm while prohibited, and guilty to breach of probation.
The charges were laid following an incident that began in Speerville on July 17, 2023 and involved a gunshot fired at a local resident, a seven-hour police search, and a collision between a stolen side-by-side and a police cruiser on Route 105 in Lower Brighton. One police officer was injured during the arrest.
A co-accused, Connell McLean, was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison in March, minus time served. He admitted to being the driver of the stolen side-by-side. Thomas and McLean have been in jail since their arrest last July.
80 days or time served Bath man
Keith Kinney, Jr., 49, of Bath, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 9 and was sentenced to 80 days in jail or time served after pleading guilty to four charges laid by RCMP. He was also placed on probation for 12 months.
Kinney was arrested on a warrant and held in custody after he failed to appear in provincial court to set a new date for his trial. He appeared in provincial court in custody on Dec. 18, 2023, after being arrested on a warrant for failing to appear for trial in October. He was released with conditions but then failed to return to court again.
On April 18, Kinney pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to appear in court on Jan. 9 and Oct. 16, 2023, resisting arrest on Jan. 8, 2023, in Bath, and theft from a store in Bath on Nov. 21, 2023. The crown withdrew one other assault charge against police. Kinney had a dated criminal record.
Canterbury man changes plea
Mitchell Lee Dow, 30, of Canterbury, appeared for trial in provincial court on May 10 and changed his plea to guilty on two charges laid by RCMP. His sentencing date was set for Oct. 8 at 1:30 p.m.
Dow appeared in court in custody on Sept. 11, 2023, and was released with conditions. He was charged with assault involving a female victim, flight from police, refusing a breathalyzer demand, and breach of an undertaking by failing to comply with a no-contact order in connection with incidents on Sept. 9, 2023, in Debec, Woodstock, and North Lake.
Dow pleaded guilty to the flight charge and refusing a breathalyzer. He agreed to sign a 12-month peace bond, resulting in the assault charge being withdrawn. The crown also withdrew the breach charge.
Sentenced to 40 days or time served
Kyle Roy MacDonald, 35, of Moncton, appeared in court in custody by video on May 10. He was sentenced to 40 days in jail or time served after pleading guilty to two charges. He was also placed on 12 months of probation.
MacDonald was arrested on a warrant issued after he failed to appear in provincial court for monitoring on Jan. 30. He was charged by RCMP with assaulting a female victim, uttering threats, and committing mischief causing property damage to her vehicle, following an incident on March 19, 2022, at Hartley Settlement. He pleaded guilty to the assault and the mischief charge. The crown withdrew the threat charge.
The court heard the charges stemmed from a domestic dispute. The crown said MacDonald spit in the victim’s face and dented her vehicle by kicking it. The accused had a prior criminal record. His defence counsel argued he struggled with mental health and addiction issues.
Sentencing set for Woodstock man
Shawn Robert Cole, 51, of Woodstock, appeared for trial in provincial court on May 10 and changed his plea to guilty on a threat charge. His sentencing date was set for June 11 at 1:30 p.m.
Woodstock Police charged Cole with uttering a threat against a female victim in connection with an incident on Nov. 19, 2022, in Woodstock.
Released after time in custody
Mitchell Sutthery, 38, of Arthurette, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 9 for sentencing on a charge of breaching his conditional sentence order. He admitted the breach and was released from custody with time served.
Sutthery was handed time served and six months of house arrest last November after changing his plea to guilty on multiple charges laid by RCMP, including breaking into a local church. The first three months were to be served under full house arrest, and the remaining three months involved him following a curfew.
The court heard police found Sutthery in violation of house arrest on Feb. 16 when they checked his residence in Arthurette and discovered he was not home. He was arrested and spent the rest of his sentence behind bars.
Bail hearing adjourned
Gary Frederick Kilcollins, 48, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 9 for a bail hearing. The matter was adjourned until May 16 at 9:30 a.m. at the request of his defence counsel.
Woodstock Police charged Kilcollins with break-and-enter at a dwelling, theft of a TV, and breach of probation for an incident between April 8 and April 16 in Woodstock.
He was also charged with theft from the Woodstock Superstore on March 24 and theft from the Thrift Boutique on April 13. A mischief charge was also laid for an incident on Jan. 2 when a window was broken at another property in town.
He was also charged with breaking into two trailers at Home Hardware in Woodstock.
Awaiting trial on assault charges
Stacey Harry Broad, 56, of Centreville, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 9 and pleaded not guilty to multiple assault charges laid by RCMP. His trial date was set for Sept. 4 at 9:30 a.m.
Broad will return to court in custody by video for a bail hearing on May 23 at 9:30 a.m. He was charged with assault, assault by choking, sexual assault and unlawful confinement involving a female victim in connection with an incident in the County of York between April 3 and April 10. He was released from custody with conditions but was re-arrested on a charge of breaching his release order on April 15.
Two remain in custody after police chase
Marshall Turner, 23, of Beaconsfield, and Kelsey Janetta Brooker, 30, of Florenceville-Bristol, were arrested and charged by RCMP following a police chase across Carleton North.
Turner appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 9 for a bail hearing. The hearing was adjourned until May 23 at 9:30 a.m. at the request of his defence counsel. He was charged with possession of a stolen truck, flight from police, dangerous driving and breach of probation.
Brooker was charged with breach of a conditional sentence order and was held in custody for a bail hearing on April 26. She was remanded to jail and appeared in court in custody by video on April 30 for a hearing when she denied breaching her conditional sentence order. After the hearing, she was ordered to complete her sentence behind bars.
They were arrested on April 23 after police pursued the pair through Beaconsfield, Florenceville-Bristol and Johnville, where they were apprehended with the assistance of a police dog and police helicopter. Turner and Brooker both have a prior criminal record.
Released with ankle bracelet
Shawn Sullivan, 38, of Perth-Andover, appeared in provincial court in custody by video on May 9 for a bail hearing. He was released with conditions including wearing an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle. He will be residing at a homeless shelter in Fredericton.
RCMP charged Sullivan with breaching a peace bond and uttering threats concerning an incident on April 27 at Gladwyn. He returns to court for plea on May 21 at 10 a.m.
Sullivan will also appear for trial in provincial court on Aug. 22-23 at 9:30 a.m. RCMP charged him with uttering threats, assault and assault by choking involving a female victim in connection with incidents between July 14 and Aug. 20, 2023, near Perth-Andover. He pleaded not guilty.
Released pending sentencing
Jordan Ronald Broad, 29, of Florenceville-Bristol, appeared in provincial court in custody on May 9 for sentencing on several charges laid by RCMP. He was released from custody with conditions, and his sentencing was adjourned until June 25 at 1:30 p.m.
RCMP charged Broad with breaching his release order stemming from an incident on Feb. 12. He was also charged with breach of an undertaking, assault with a weapon (a candleholder) and committing mischief causing property damage for an incident on Jan. 6 in Florenceville-Bristol. He appeared in court for a bail hearing on Feb. 28 and was remanded to jail.
He pleaded guilty to mischief and one breach charge. The crown withdrew the remaining two charges. Broad also pleaded guilty to assault, uttering threats, and assault by choking involving a female victim concerning another incident on Oct. 8, 2023, in Florenceville-Bristol.
Sentencing adjourned for Moncton man
Ryley Smith, 28, of Moncton, appeared for sentencing in provincial court on May 9 after changing his plea to guilty on two charges laid by RCMP. The matter was adjourned until May 28 at 9:30 a.m.
RCMP charged Smith 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, in Lower Woodstock.
On Feb. 16, Smith pleaded guilty to both breaches. The two assault charges will still go to trial at his court appearance on May 28.
Smith appeared in provincial court in custody for a bail hearing on Aug. 8, 2023, and was released with conditions. As part of his release, Smith was ordered to report to the police weekly and have no contact with the complainant. He is residing at a residence in Salisbury.
