Court Report

A year in jail

A New Minas man has received a total of 12 months in jail for assaults, refusal, breaches and drug possession.

Todd Jason Johnson, 30, pleaded guilty in Kentville provincial court Wednesday, Sept. 26 to two counts of assault causing bodily harm, one against a male, the other a female; refusing to provide a breath sample for analysis; two counts of failing to comply with probation orders; failing a recognizance order; possession of cannabis marijuana, a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA); and driving while his privilege of obtaining a license was revoked, contrary to the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicles Act (MVA).

Judge MacDonald sentenced Johnson to three months in jail each for the one of the assaults and refusal; two months each for the second assault and a probation breach; and one month each for the recognizance breach and drug possession. Those sentences will all be served consecutively.

The one-month sentence for a second probationary breach is to be served concurrently.

For the MVA offense, MacDonald fined Johnson $1,000 or 30 days.

In connection with the assault convictions, MacDonald prohibited Johnson from possessing firearms for five years.

For the refusal, the judge also prohibited Johnson from driving in Canada for four years, a ban the Nova Scotia Registry of Motor Vehicles will at least match.

Johnson committed the refusal, a probation breach and the MVA offense in New Minas May 23, and the assaults, probation breach, recognizance breach and CDSA offense in Kentville Sept. 16.

Conditional sentence, probation, fines

A Millville resident has received a conditional sentence -- including house arrest -- and a probationary term for trying to evade police in a motor chase, and more than $3,000 in fines for other offenses.

Judge Alan Tufts imposed a nine-month conditional sentence order Tuesday, Sept. 25, followed by 12 months of reporting probation, on John William Clark, 25, for, in an attempt to evade police, failing to stop in a reasonable time while pursued.

The conditional sentence includes three months of house arrest, with the usual exceptions for employment, education, emergencies and appointments.

Probationary conditions include, among others, that Clark refrain from possessing and/or consuming alcoholic beverages and/or non-medically prescribed drugs, and refrain from driving. The judge also prohibited Clark from driving in Canada for two years.

Clark also pleaded guilty to operating an off-highway vehicle without a permit and failing to wear a helmet, both contrary to the Off-Highway Vehicles Act; driving a vehicle without a valid inspection sticker, driving without the required liability insurance, driving an unregistered vehicle, and driving while his privilege of obtaining a license was revoked, all contrary to the Motor Vehicles Act.

Judge Tufts fined Clark $2,000 or 40 days in custody on willful default, for driving without insurance; $500 for driving while his privilege was revoked; $250 each for the Off-Highway offenses; $50 for the unregistered vehicle; and $25 for driving a vehicle without a valid inspection sticker.

Clark committed the Off-Highway offenses in Aylesford April 11; the evasion and inspection sticker offenses in Aylesford April 12; driving while revoked in Aylesford May 19; and the insurance and unregistered vehicle offenses in Millville June 3.

Clark pleaded guilty to the offenses Aug. 13.

House arrest for home invasion

Judge MacDonald imposed a six-month conditional sentence order Sept. 26 on Kentville resident Jeremy David Longford, 25, for break and entry into a dwelling and committing the indictable offense of assault and committing mischief by causing less than $5,000 in damage to property.

The sentence is to be served as house arrest, with the usual exceptions for employment, emergencies, education or appointments. It also allows for electronic monitoring.

The judge also prohibited Langford from possessing firearms for 10 years, with a lifetime ban on possessing restricted firearms.

Longford committed the break-in and mischief during an incident in Kentville Jan. 14, 2006. Judge MacDonald found him guilty in an Aug. 7 decision after a trial.

Two others -- one of whom was convicted and sentenced, and one acquitted -- had been charged in connection with the incident.

Probation for threat, assault, breach

Burlington resident Randy Fergus Hamilton, 48, pleaded guilty Sept. 25 to uttering a death threat, assaulting a person, and failing to comply with a recognizance order.

Judge Tufts suspended sentencing on Hamilton for the convictions and imposed a term of 12 months of reporting probation.

Conditions of the probation include, among others, Hamilton having no contact with the victim and possessing no weapons.

Hamilton committed the assault and uttered the threat in Burlington Aug. 30, and the recognizance breach in Berwick Sept 21.

Probation, community service

Judge MacDonald suspended sentencing Sept. 26 on Coldbrook resident Jennifer Cynthia Durling, 29, on a conviction of possession of cannabis marijuana, a Schedule II drug under the CDSA, and imposed a term of one-year reporting probation on her.

The judge also ordered Durling to perform 25 hours of community service.

Durling committed the offense in Coldbrook April 7, 2005. She pleaded guilty to the charge June 13.

Convicted automatically

Judge MacDonald convicted automatically Blue Mountain resident Paul Henry Sawicki, 43, on a charge of driving without the required liability insurance, contrary to the MVA, and fined him $1,250.

Police laid the charge in Blue Mountain April 29. Sawicki pleaded not guilty to the charge May 28. He didn’t attend court for the Sept. 26 trial, though the court had received a letter from him.