Court Report

House arrest for readings

A Bridgewater man will be spending a lot of time around the house because he drove with elevated blood-alcohol readings.

In Kentville provincial court Monday, July 16, Judge Alan Tufts imposed a four-week conditional sentence order on Nicholas Gordon Brown, 27, for the offense. An 11-month probationary term will follow the sentence.

The conditional sentence is in the form of house arrest, with the usual exceptions for employment, emergencies, education and appointments.

Probationary conditions include, among others, that Brown take assessment, counselling or treatment recommended by Corrections officials.

Brown committed the offense in Kentville March 18 when police found he had blood-alcohol readings of 170 and 170 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

The legal limit under the Criminal Code is 80 mg/100 ml, with provisions of heavier penalties for convictions involving readings in excess of 160 mg/100 ml or other aggravating circumstances.

Brown pleaded guilty to the charges May 7. As a result, the court prohibited Brown from driving in Canada for two years. The Nova Scotia Registry of Motor Vehicles will ban him from driving in the province for at least that long.

Probation for theft, mischief

Judge Tufts suspended sentencing July 16 on Grand-Pre resident Trevor Jason Harris for convictions on theft of property valued at less than $5,000 and mischief, and imposed a term of 12 months of probation on him.

The judge also ordered Harris to pay $603.58 in restitution to the theft victim.

Harris committed the theft in Canning Aug. 10, 2006 and the mischief Aug. 16, when he caused damage of less than $5,000 to property.

Elevated blood-alcohol readings

Harwell, New Brunswick resident Denis Gerard Archer,19, pleaded guilty July 16 to driving while his blood-alcohol level exceeded the 80 mg/100 ml legal limit.

Judge Tufts fined Archer $700 plus a $105 victim surcharge, or 13 days in custody on willful default.

Tufts also prohibited Archer from driving in Canada for a year, a period the Registry of Motor Vehicles will at least match.

Archer committed the offense in Wolfville June 8 when police found that his blood-alcohol readings were 120 and 110 mg/100 ml.



Fine for refusal

Kentville resident Jeffery Wayne Margeson, 37, pleaded guilty July 16 to refusing to give a suitable breath sample for blood-alcohol analysis.

Judge Tufts fined Margeson $900 plus a $135 victim surcharge, or 17 days in custody on willful default, and prohibited him from driving in Canada for a year.

The Registry of Motor Vehicles will at least match that prohibition for driving in the province. Margeson committed the refusal in Kentville May 18.

Short sentence

Dartmouth resident Garry Robert Dowell, 51, pleaded guilty July 16 to failing to comply with an undertaking.

Judge Tufts sentenced Dowell to one day in custody deemed served by remand time.

Dowell committed the breach in Kingston June 24.

Drove while revoked

Wolfville resident Devin Partio Pick, 25, pleaded guilty July 16 to driving while his privilege of obtaining a driver’s license was revoked, contrary to the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicles Act. Judge Tufts fined Pick $500.

Pick committed the offense in Cambridge May 15.

Conditional discharge for offenses

Judge Tufts granted Kingston resident Patricia Anne Barteaux, 46, a conditional discharge July 16 for seven offenses. The discharge is pending one year of reporting probation.

The offenses include assault, two counts of assaulting police officers in the performance of their duties, three counts of failing to comply with undertakings, and failing to attend court. Barteaux pleaded guilty to the charges July 16.

The first five charges were in connection with incidents in Kingston Dec. 8 and Dec. 22, 2006; a breach charge Greenwood, Jan. 28, 2007; and the failure to attend, Middleton, May 27.

Received conditional discharge

Wolfville resident Shawn Richard Vaughan, 24, received a conditional discharge from Judge Tufts July 16 on a charge of theft of gasoline from a service station. The discharge is pending 45 days’ reporting probation.

As well, Vaughan must pay $10 in restitution and make a $100 charitable donation to the Red Door.

The charge resulted from an incident at an Aldershot gas station. Vaughan pleaded guilty July 16.

Pleads guilty to break-ins, theft

North Kentville resident Corie Lee Scott Corkum, 21, pleaded guilty July 16 to two counts of break and entry into a dwelling house and committing indictable offenses; two counts of breaking into sheds, committing the indictable offenses of theft in one and mischief in the other; and theft of property valued at less than $5,000.

Judge Tufts scheduled Corkum’s sentencing to Nov. 6 pending a pre-sentence report.

Corkum committed the dwelling break-ins in Kentville April 27 and May 2, and the shed breaks and the theft in New Minas May 18.