http://groups.msn.com/Moncton101
2006/08/26
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Bootlegger found guilty
A man pleaded guilty to two counts of bootlegging in Moncton provincial court yesterday in connection with a raid at an after-hours club on Main Street.
David Douglas LeBlanc was in court for sentencing yesterday after previously pleading guilty to illegally selling alcohol on two occasions at the Vibe after-hours club at 837 Main St. Police raided the place at 3 a.m. on June 3 after undercover officers previously visited and found alcohol and narcotics on site.
Crown prosecutor Michel O. LeBlanc said an undercover officer visited the club in May and purchased two 50-ml bottles of liquor from the accused. When a search warrant was executed, police found LeBlanc had another 66 50-ml bottles, along with $272 in cash.
Judge Irwin Lampert asked LeBlanc how much he sold the bottles for, but the accused refused to tell the judge. He didn't have much to say at all.
"I just want to get this over with and get back to work," the Armour Transport employee told the judge.
The minimum fine for this crime is $288, while the maximum is $3,144. LeBlanc asked for $400-$500 per charge.
Lampert fined LeBlanc $500 for each charge, for a total of $1,000. The seized cash and liquor were forfeited.
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Police Beat
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Second time this year same branch of bank targeted by robber
Saint John Man sentenced to house arrest
Shawn Joseph Gionet, 30, has been sentenced to 20 months of house arrest after pleading guilty to three charges of theft and one of harassment. He was given five months consecutive on each charge when he appeared before Provincial Court Judge Alfred Brien Thursday.
Gionet, who committed a string of criminal offences in the 1990s, was not in court from 1999 to the present. Duty counsel Margaret Gallagher said Gionet recently became addicted to drugs and ended up committing crimes to pay for his habit. During that time he separated from his wife, but she is now willing to take him back. He turned himself around once and he can do it again, his lawyer said. Gionet was placed on probation for a year and ordered to pay a $50 victim fine surcharge.------
SAINT JOHN - Arthur Michael Kinsella must remain in detention at the Saint John Regional Correction Centre while he awaits an extradition hearing requested by the U.S. government.
Court of Queen's Bench Justice Hugh McLellan decided against releasing Kinsella, 46, on bail following a hearing Friday. The extradition hearing will take place Friday, Sept. 8 at 9:30 a.m., if Kinsella is able to obtain legal aid by then. He said he does not have the resources to pay for a lawyer.
A ban was placed on publication by the Canadian media of evidence used to determine if Kinsella should be released on bail because it could taint a possible jury pool for a trial in Maine.
Kinsella was charged March 21, 2005 in U.S. District Court in Bangor with conspiracy to distribute OxyContin and possession with intent to distribute OxyContin. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
Following his arrest in 2005, Kinsella was detained in Maine but was eventually released to return to Canada. He made two trips back to Bangor for court but did not return for a third appearance in August 2005. Kinsella had an explanation for his failure to appear, but it cannot be printed because of the ban on publication of evidence.
Warrants issued in the U.S. are not valid across international borders so officials there have to apply through the Canadian government for an extradition hearing. Kinsella was arrested Tuesday on a warrant issued through the Court of Queen's Bench in Saint John and remanded to jail for Friday's bail hearing.
Kinsella, his twin brother and mother, who all live in Saint John, testified at the bail hearing.
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'All I want is five minutes alone with him"?????
Relatives of victims in court for hearing for double murder suspect Gregory Allan Despres
FREDERICTON - Relatives of two elderly murder victims confronted the man accused of killing them, begging sheriff's officers on Friday for five minutes alone with him.
Gregory Allan Despres, 23, was in court for a hearing on an adjournment of his trial, which was set over from Sept. 5 to Jan. 8.
Despres is accused of killing Fred Fulton, 74, and Verna Decarie, 70, in their Minto home in April 2005.
The elderly couple was stabbed repeatedly and Fulton decapitated.
Despres was the couple's next-door neighbour. A U.S. citizen, he has been in custody since his arrest in Massachusetts a day after the bodies were discovered. He was extradited back to Canada a few months later.
At the end of Friday's hearing, Despres rose in the prisoner's box and spoke of his wish to have more lawyers hired to help in his defence.
He claimed to be a member of the Hells Angels and asked that he be permitted to contact the biker gang's chapters in either Montreal or Toronto to arrange for them to fund more legal counsel.
"That isn't anything I can order," Justice Judy Clendening told Despres.
As Despres began to make his claims about his association with the Hells Angels, family members of the two victims laughed at him from the gallery.
Despres also alleged that people in court were armed with handguns and intended to harm him. He said he wanted the biker gang to protect him and to provide added security at the courthouse.
Clendening assured him the sheriff's officers were providing adequate security and that everyone who entered the court was searched prior to being admitted.
"I'd feel more protected if I had Hells Angels bodyguards to protect me," Despres said.
Once the court adjourned, Frederick Mowat, Fulton's grandson, yelled at Despres: "I'll be your bodyguard."
Fulton's niece, Brenda Case, also spoke angrily to Despres, who cursed at them as he was being led from court.
When Despres was being led from the courthouse by sheriff's officers later, the few Fulton family members who had attended court were waiting outside, including Mowat and Case.
"We're not scared one bit of you," one woman said.
"All I want is five minutes alone with him," Case said.
Family spokesperson Mike Richardson, Fulton's nephew, told reporters later that the family is frustrated.
"It's been 16 months since this murder and we just want to get it over with," he said, referring to the trial.--------
Fredericton Police corporal charged with assault
Crown prosecutors have approved a charge of common assault against a 13-year veteran of the Fredericton Police Force.
The charge against Cpl. Dwight Doyle was laid in Fredericton provincial court Friday. It stems from a May 27 incident in which four people protesting in front of city hall were arrested and later released.
Doyle, scheduled to appear for plea in October, has not been suspended and will remain on active duty. The date of that court appearance was not made public.
Fredericton resident Asaf Rashid, one of the four taken into custody, alleged he was the only one handcuffed during the incident. He said that happened because of his Pakistani background.
"The other three are not people of colour and they weren't treated the same way I was," he said shortly after the incident.
Rashid expressed relief Friday that court action had started.
"I'm glad a charge has been laid," Rashid said. "It's important to communicate to the public that the police force does not operate with immunity."
Rashid said the action should also alleviate concerns people may have regarding the right to protest in the city.
The complaint against Doyle was brought to the attention of police May 31.
After reviewing the incident, Chief Barry MacKnight requested that the Saint John Police Force conduct an independent criminal investigation into the complaint.
''It is appropriate to have those investigations conducted by other police forces as they must be both impartial and seen to be impartial by the public," MacKnight said in a news release.
The Saint John Police Force has since completed its investigation and the charge was approved by the Office of Public Prosecutions in Saint John.
MacKnight said he is satisfied the matter has been thoroughly probed and that all appropriate steps have been followed in a timely fashion.
The Fredericton Police Force would like to reassure the public that it will maintain the trust and respect of the community and that the integrity of its operations will not be compromised, he said.
"This has been an open and thorough investigation; we respect the process and will continue to do so."
MacKnight defended the decision to keep Doyle on duty.
He said the Fredericton Police Force firmly believes that the level of service to the community will not be jeopardized in any way by the officer's continued presence.
The police chief said it is important for people to remember that the allegation against the member was not one of racism but one related to the use of force.
"Some inquiry into the racism (allegation) has happened already," he said. "I suspect there had been a continuation of that in the criminal investigation and that will be a factor that we will continue to probe under the Police Act."
A Police Act investigation will take place at the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.
Rashid said he hopes the racism element of his complaint will be not be forgotten.
"I do, definitely, want it examined," Rashid said.
Cpl. Martin Gaudet said the police force serves a diverse community in which it shares a mutual trust and respect with.
He said anti-racism training is part of recruitment.
Gaudet said because the criminal charge is before the courts, police would not discuss any further details surrounding the allegation or investigation against Doyle.
Bail hearing decision reserved
A Fredericton man at the centre of a murder investigation by city police will have to wait until next week to find out if he'll be released from custody pending the resolution of his assault trial.
David Timothy McAdam, 55, of 82 Waggoners Lane, Apt. 3, was in court Friday for a bail hearing on Aug. 13 charges of assault causing bodily harm to Joan Louise Doak, 45, with whom he lived, and an accompanying count of breaching a court undertaking.
Evidence presented at the bail hearing is subject to a ban on publication.
Judge Mary Jane Richards reserved her decision on the bail hearing and will rule on whether or not he'll be freed on conditions Tuesday.
City police have described McAdam as being "a person of interest" in Doak's murder.
She was discovered unconscious by police, firefighters and paramedics in the Waggoners Lane apartment late Aug. 18 after they received a phone call saying that a woman had been stabbed.
Doak was taken to hospital with a stab wound to her upper chest and was pronounced dead.
McAdam was arrested Saturday and charged with the Aug. 13 alleged offences.
No charges have been filed in the homicide investigation.-----
Metro in brief
Man, 46, charged in case of public masturbation Halifax Regional Police charged a man with an indecent act after they received complaints about someone masturbating on a city sidewalk Thursday afternoon. Police were called to the 2800 block of Robie Street at 2:20 p.m. and arrested a 46-year-old man. He was due to appear Friday morning in Halifax provincial court, where he was also expected to be charged with breaching probation. Trenton man charged in cheque-cashing scam A Trenton man???s online job search got him employment ??? and then two charges of fraud. New Glasgow police arrested the unidentified man this week after an investigation into reports of altered cheques being presented at local banks. The man is accused of knowingly trying to cash two altered cheques from Wendy???s Restaurants and Soylutions, totalling $28,000. The Wendy???s cheque passed through the bank, but staff called police when the Soylutions cheque was presented. Police are now looking for a second suspect, who allegedly hired the Trenton man, based on his online resume, to cash the cheques. Police say the second suspect posed as a pharmaceutical company physician when he offered the Trenton man a job collecting payments. The task involved cashing large cheques, keeping 10 per cent for himself and forwarding the remainder to the so-called doctor. The Trenton suspect will appear in court in late September. Armed robber targets Sydney corner store SYDNEY ??? Cape Breton Regional Police are investigating an armed robbery at a Sydney convenience store earlier this week. Const. Dave MacGillivary said an armed man entered Ashby Convenience Store at 320 St. Peters Rd. at about 4 p.m. and got away with a "small amount" of cash. Const. MacGillivary wouldn???t say what type of weapon was used in the heist. There were no injuries. ---- Ex-Children???s Aid drivers??? case adjourned until September Two former drivers for the Children???s Aid Society of Halifax will reappear in court on drug and gun charges after their case was adjourned Thursday until September. Shannon Johnson, 28, and Melody Husbands, 25, both of Halifax, are charged with possession of a weapon and drugs following a raid on a Spryfield home on May 4. Officers seized a sawed-off shotgun, marijuana, morphine, cocaine, ecstasy and cash. The two women were arrested, along with Trevor Miller, 26, and Harold Patton, 27, both of Halifax. All four are facing the same charges. Ms. Johnson and Mr. Miller were in court Thursday, accompanied by friends and family. Ms. Husbands and Mr. Patton were not present. All four will reappear in Halifax provincial court Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. -------- Police catch shady suspectIt took less than an hour for Halifax Regional Police to arrest a suspect after a man tried to rob a Sunglass Hut in Dartmouth on Friday evening. The robber entered the Mic Mac Mall boutique at about 5:30 p.m. and showed a hunting knife to the female clerk. She ran past him screaming into the mall and the robber fled on foot. An off-duty RCMP officer gave chase but could not catch the man. Plainclothes officers from the quick response unit picked up a suspect in a nearby neighbourhood shortly after 6 p.m. after he allegedly broke into a car and changed his clothes. The man is described as a five-foot-six native in his early 40s. He had a long, pockmarked face and was wearing dark clothing. He was in custody Friday night facing robbery charges and is to appear in court on Monday. -------------- Lantz man always on web, neighbours say The man at the centre of an alleged child pornography distribution network almost always stays inside his home and spends a great deal of time on the Internet, neighbours in Lantz say. Michael David Fahey, 42, was arrested Thursday when RCMP executed a search warrant at his home at 1415 Highway 2 in Lantz looking for evidence of child pornography on his computer. He was later charged with possessing and distributing child porn. A man from the East Hants area who did not want to be identified but knew the occupants of the house where Mr. Fahey lives, said he is unemployed and is dating the woman who is renting the home from the government. She is suffering from diabetes and is on welfare, he said. The man also said that Mr. Fahey has a teenage daughter and spends most of his time playing games on the Internet. "He???s big into computers," he said. "That???s all he talks about." Mr. Fahey???s neighbours were shocked to hear news of the charges. They said neither he, nor the female occupant of the home, come outside much and never speak to their neighbours. "They seem to be home all the time," said Eugene Wilkinson, who has lived across the street since 1991, adding that the curtains on Mr. Fahey???s house are always drawn. "They???re hardly ever outdoors. "They pretty well stay to themselves." The house itself is in disrepair. A large garbage bin sits on the front lawn and stacks of animal carriers line the side of the house. Two satellite dishes were set up on the roof. Neighbours said high-speed Internet access is not available in the area. Mr. Fahey???s computer is now being inspected at the Atlantic Regional integrated technical crime unit. He is scheduled to appear at provincial court in Shubenacadie on Oct. 16. --------- Shot dog continues recoverySPCA says vet key in saving abused dog Truro Bureau PICTOU ??? Dr. Kathryn Finlayson is Teddy Bear???s hero and the provincial SPCA wants to make sure it stays that way. "We asked a justice of the peace for a warrant to seize the dog because it wasn???t in very good condition when it came to the veterinarian in the first place," said Judith Gass, spokeswoman for the provincial non-profit agency. "It was emaciated and not in very good health ??? fleas and parasites ??? we needed to make sure she would stay with Dr. Finlayson or go to a foster home," she said. Pictou RCMP say the dog ??? a German shepard, Labrador retriever mix ??? was tied to a pole, shot through the head, badly beaten and left to die. It was found Aug. 16. The owner told investigators the dog had gotten loose sometime between Aug. 14 and Aug. 15. Pictou RCMP is investigating the abuse of the dog, who is believed to be about three years old. Dr. Finlayson, a vet at Shiretown Animal Hospital in Pictou, performed surgery on the dog and nursed it back to health. She has absorbed the costs associated with the dog???s care and has found a foster home for her. She told The Chronicle Herald earlier this week the animal???s head was so badly swollen it didn???t even resemble a dog when a police officer brought it to her for treatment. "It looked like a little bear . . . so I called her Teddy Bear." The dog wasn???t able to open its eyes for three days and had massive bruising around its mouth and ears. Despite the extent of the dog???s injuries, Dr. Finlayson refused to put it down, saying keeping the dog alive meant someone would have to be held accountable for what was done to her. The veterinarian has won praise for her efforts on behalf of the dog from SPCA officials and police officers. Teddy Bear, the Pictou dog that was shot in the head and then beaten last week, continues to make progress and has come under the protection of the provincial SPCA. Truro Bureau ------------- Police arrest C.B. man after drugs, cash seized PETIT DE GRAT ??? A 23-year-old Isle Madame man has been charged after RCMP seized cocaine, marijuana and cash from a residence. Roy (Rocky) Martell of Petit de Grat was arrested Wednesday and has been charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Police would not release the amount of drugs or cash seized but said further charges are pending. Mr. Martell will appear in Arichat provincial court in October. -------- Courthouse contraband: 2,196 knives, ammo NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. ??? They thought they had done their homework and planned for all possibilities when they introduced tough new security measures at the front door of the courthouse where Robert Pickton was on trial for first-degree murder of 26 women. But the sheriff's office did not anticipate what they would find on belt buckles, in breath-mint containers and on chains around the necks of people going into the courthouse for other trials. During the first six months of the trial that began Jan. 30, hundreds of people have been pulled aside for trying to bring weapons and drugs into the courthouse. The unanticipated bounty included 2,196 knives, 33 cans of pepper spray and 30 syringes. Officials seized drugs ??? marijuana, crack cocaine, amphetamines, crystal meth and heroin ??? on 54 occasions. They found six items identified as ammunition, explosives and/or gun parts, including one box of ammunition with 50 bullets for a .22-calibre gun. The weapons came in many guises, including a belt buckle, a pen and a crucifix. The sheriffs found a knife, called a push dagger, in a black square designed to fit in a wallet. They discovered drugs in inconspicuous places, such as cigarette packages and breath-mint containers. ???It's quite bizarre what things people think they can bring into the court,??? Don Bales, director of strategic management in the court services branch of the Ministry of the Attorney-General, said yesterday in an interview. The contraband is brought into the building even though the tight security measures introduced for Mr. Pickton's trial are obvious to anyone approaching the entrance of the courthouse in the Vancouver suburb of New Westminster. Three security gates and numerous uniformed deputy sheriffs, with guns in their holsters, are clearly visible through plate-glass windows at the entrance. A sign posted at the doorway says possession of weapons in the courthouse ???is NOT permitted.??? Another sign warns that anyone who enters the courthouse will be subject to a physical search before access is permitted. Yet they keep on coming. A deputy sheriff recalled in an interview yesterday an incident involving some weapons. The deputy could not be quoted by name for security reasons. ???A person came to the security gate with two knives,??? the deputy said. ???He told the deputy at the search gate that he was going to put his knives in his truck. He went out to his truck, came back in, went through screening process and the deputy discovered a knife on a chain around his neck, inside his shirt, hanging upside down.??? The sheriff's office had no idea why he was so determined to bring a concealed knife into the courthouse. He was detained and the knife was seized, but he was not charged. Many people who are caught tell the deputy sheriffs they did not know what they had on them. ???It's not mine??? or ???How did that get there???? are common responses, the deputy sheriff said. About 1,000 people have quickly turned away after contraband was discovered. Occasionally, these people may be followed. Deputy sheriffs have watched as people step outside and bury contraband in the courthouse garden or planters on the courthouse plaza. Others are detained to allow for a further investigation, the deputy sheriff said. A charge will not be laid for a single marijuana cigarette. But if deputy sheriffs find illegal weapons or a significant amount of drugs, they call the New Westminster police, who decide whether to pursue criminal charges. ???Our job is not enforcement, but public safety,??? Mr. Bales said. ???It's a grey zone, but we take an intermediary step to turn the matter over to the right authority. Our main focus is to provide security in the court not to seize weapons or drugs.??? Mr. Pickton is on trial for the murder of 26 women who were drug addicts and worked as prostitutes in Vancouver's skid row. If convicted on all charges, the 56-year old Port Coquitlam bachelor would be the deadliest serial killer in Canadian history. Mr. Pickton was arrested in February, 2002, after an emotional campaign by people who felt that authorities were callously indifferent to the fate of the women over several years. Tough security measures were introduced at the New Westminster courthouse to ensure the safety of those involved in the trial. The deputy sheriffs believe that none of the contraband caught in the new security net was heading into the Pickton courtroom. The drugs and weapons were brought in by people going into other trials in progress in the courthouse. Nevertheless, the security gates were taken down at the New Westminster courthouse earlier this month when the Pickton trial adjourned for a summer recess. Trials continue to be held throughout the summer in the courthouse, although on a reduced schedule. Mr. Bales said the slower summer schedule has reduced the risk. Also, the security gate has been a deterrent, leading to a drop in incidents over time. ???We take measures that are necessary, based on what's going on,??? he said. The security services keep a security gate operating continuously only at a Provincial Court building on Main Street, in the heart of Vancouver's drug-infested Downtown Eastside. Occasionally a security gate is placed outside a courtroom in other courthouses, if authorities identify an elevated risk for a specific case. During 2005, 17,528 prohibited items, including 5,593 weapons and 25 items classified as ammunition, gun parts or explosives, were seized at security gates in courthouses in Greater Vancouver. The sheriffs also took 4,200 needles and packages of drugs. ------ Senior sex assault conviction sparks call for cameras in Alta nursing homes Friday, August 25, 2006 CALGARY (CP) - An Alberta seniors rights group is calling for mandatory video cameras in private and public care facilities after a nursing aide was convicted Friday of sexually assaulting a disabled 90-year-old woman. Rex Ongee Okumu, who is to be sentenced Nov. 2, is the second Calgary care worker in the last three months to be convicted of sexually assaulting an elderly woman in a seniors home. "It is very clear that there has been no effort to provide safety to people in these residences," Ruth Maria Adria of Elder Advocates of Alberta Society said outside court following Okumu's conviction. Adria wants "cameras in every room so that the care is monitored." The demand will be hand-delivered in a letter to Alberta Seniors Minister Yvonne Fritz and copied to Justice Minister Ron Stevens. Adria said although her group has been pushing for legislative change for years, it may take horrific cases to cause enough public outcry to force protective measures for vulnerable residents. She said many seniors balk at the mere suggestion of institutional care. "Elderly people say, 'No! We don't want to go to those places because we'll be put in harm's way,' " said Adria, who added that some day-care centres have installed video cameras to monitor the care of children. "Very elderly persons are really like frail children," she said. "They need the same safety, and we'll keep pushing for it." During the trial earlier this summer, a nursing assistant testified she found Okumu, his pants and underwear around his ankles, bent over the woman in a compromising position. The woman suffers from dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Okumu denied the allegations and said he was only changing the woman's diaper at the nursing home in northwest Calgary on July 3, 2004. Court of Queen's Bench Justice Scott Brooker said he didn't believe Okumu's testimony and found the 41-year-old father of six guilty of sexual assault. However, Brooker said there was not enough evidence to convict Okumu of sexually exploiting a mentally or physically disabled person over whom he had a position of trust. Okumu showed no expression at the decision. He was taken into custody and will undergo psychiatric assessment before sentencing. Crown prosecutor Sheena Cunningham indicated she will seek upwards of two years in prison for the assault, while defence lawyer Mitch Stephensen said he would like the judge to consider a conditional sentence. She noted that although a nursing supervisor sent Okumu home after the assault allegations were made, the victim was not examined by a doctor until two days later. That physician later testified that while there was bruising in the genital area, she could not say for certain if the woman had been penetrated sexually. In June, a 72-year-old former caregiver at another Calgary nursing home was sentenced to 18 months in jail for sexually assaulting an 86-year-old resident. --------- ------------------------- Child porn case moving slowly%]--> SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. - Police in this northern Ontario city said yesterdaytheir investigation into an international child pornography case is progressing slowly due to the need for more information from Ontario Provincial Police. "We are driven by what they find," said Insp. Art Pluss. "We wait to get information from them, which is coming piecemeal, appreciating at their end we are talking international, we are talking perhaps multiple contacts throughout the world." Mark Bedford, 21, of Kingston, Ont., is accused of blackmailing more than 100 young girls in Canada and England into performing sexual acts online. Bedford allegedly contacted 10 to 20 girls aged 10 to 16 in Sault Ste. Marie. Pluss said the OPP is conducting a technical analysis of Bedford's computer and software. "They provide us with bits of information as they uncover it, and in turn, we respond locally to it," said Pluss. "We're driven much by their investigation." He would not say how many complainants Sault Ste. Marie police have interviewed. Pluss also declined to say if any more alleged victims have come forward in recent weeks. Bedford was arrested in late July and is facing a variety of child pornography charges. Girls from Edmonton, Kingston, Ottawa and Kent, England, were allegedly contacted by Bedford. -------- People fall victim to scam as Oprah fever hits South Africa Talk show host Oprah Winfrey applauds with schoolgirls in Johannesburg Monday during her brief visit to South Africa to interview prospective pupils for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. CAPE TOWN, South Africa - South African police questioned eight people Friday after discovering an investment scam that used the name of U.S. talk show queen Oprah Winfrey. Some 500 hopefuls crowded into a community centre in the eastern city of Grahamstown after being told that they had to make a simple payment of 10 rands (about $1.5 Cdn) and would receive 1,200 rands ($184 Cdn) per month for 10 years. Police who went to the community centre Thursday after hearing locals boast about their pending windfall were shouted at and told to go away, the South African Press Association reported Friday. "This process is believed to have started earlier this week. By word of mouth the community were informed of this easy way of making money," regional police spokesman Mali Govender told SAPA. He said police confiscated 160 applications and returned nearly 2000 rands ($300 Cdn) to their owners. Police said Winfrey knew nothing about it. Scams are a frequent occurrence in South Africa, mainly preying on the poor and uneducated. The latest one was apparently fuelled by publicity surrounding Winfrey's brief visit to the country to interview prospective pupils for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. At a ceremony Sunday at the site of the academy in Johannesburg, Winfrey wowed the crowd by selecting all 73 girls, aged 11-12, who had shown up for interviews. More children from other parts of South Africa will be chosen later this year. The academy, which is due to open in January, aims to offer a quality education to deprived girls and help open the door out of poverty and abuse based on Winfrey's philosophy that education is power. The academy has the blessing of South African education authorities who donated the site south of Johannesburg. The Oprah Winfrey Foundation contributed $10 million US. South Africa's education system still suffers from the legacy of apartheid. Private schools are still dominated by the white minority as they are too expensive for many black and mixed race South Africans. -------- http://groups.msn.com/Moncton101/_whatsnew http://groups.msn.com/MonctonsSingleAdults/_homepage http://groups.msn.com/NBsingles/_homepage http://groups.msn.com/LifelineGreaterMoncton/_homepage crime beat,police beat,Moncton,greater Moncton,Moncton101,atlantic Canada,Halifax,Fredericton,Saint John,Dartmouth http://groups.msn.com/Moncton101Moncton101 is a Community Site for Greater Moncton to inform and help people .Buy,sell,trade,-Give away & Looking for,Yard & Garage Sales,Coupon Exchange,Local Events,4 & 2 Rent,People LocaterF.Y.I.,Crime Beat,Promote your abilities, And much more
Man, 46, charged in case of public masturbation
Halifax Regional Police charged a man with an indecent act after they received complaints about someone masturbating on a city sidewalk Thursday afternoon.
Police were called to the 2800 block of Robie Street at 2:20 p.m. and arrested a 46-year-old man.
He was due to appear Friday morning in Halifax provincial court, where he was also expected to be charged with breaching probation.
Trenton man charged in cheque-cashing scam
A Trenton man???s online job search got him employment ??? and then two charges of fraud.
New Glasgow police arrested the unidentified man this week after an investigation into reports of altered cheques being presented at local banks.
The man is accused of knowingly trying to cash two altered cheques from Wendy???s Restaurants and Soylutions, totalling $28,000. The Wendy???s cheque passed through the bank, but staff called police when the Soylutions cheque was presented.
Police are now looking for a second suspect, who allegedly hired the Trenton man, based on his online resume, to cash the cheques.
Police say the second suspect posed as a pharmaceutical company physician when he offered the Trenton man a job collecting payments.
The task involved cashing large cheques, keeping 10 per cent for himself and forwarding the remainder to the so-called doctor.
The Trenton suspect will appear in court in late September.
Armed robber targets Sydney corner store
SYDNEY ??? Cape Breton Regional Police are investigating an armed robbery at a Sydney convenience store earlier this week.
Const. Dave MacGillivary said an armed man entered Ashby Convenience Store at 320 St. Peters Rd. at about 4 p.m. and got away with a "small amount" of cash.
Const. MacGillivary wouldn???t say what type of weapon was used in the heist. There were no injuries.
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Ex-Children???s Aid drivers??? case adjourned until September
Two former drivers for the Children???s Aid Society of Halifax will reappear in court on drug and gun charges after their case was adjourned Thursday until September. Shannon Johnson, 28, and Melody Husbands, 25, both of Halifax, are charged with possession of a weapon and drugs following a raid on a Spryfield home on May 4. Officers seized a sawed-off shotgun, marijuana, morphine, cocaine, ecstasy and cash. The two women were arrested, along with Trevor Miller, 26, and Harold Patton, 27, both of Halifax. All four are facing the same charges. Ms. Johnson and Mr. Miller were in court Thursday, accompanied by friends and family. Ms. Husbands and Mr. Patton were not present. All four will reappear in Halifax provincial court Sept. 26 at 10 a.m.
Shannon Johnson, 28, and Melody Husbands, 25, both of Halifax, are charged with possession of a weapon and drugs following a raid on a Spryfield home on May 4. Officers seized a sawed-off shotgun, marijuana, morphine, cocaine, ecstasy and cash.
The two women were arrested, along with Trevor Miller, 26, and Harold Patton, 27, both of Halifax. All four are facing the same charges.
Ms. Johnson and Mr. Miller were in court Thursday, accompanied by friends and family. Ms. Husbands and Mr. Patton were not present. All four will reappear in Halifax provincial court Sept. 26 at 10 a.m.
Police catch shady suspectIt took less than an hour for Halifax Regional Police to arrest a suspect after a man tried to rob a Sunglass Hut in Dartmouth on Friday evening. The robber entered the Mic Mac Mall boutique at about 5:30 p.m. and showed a hunting knife to the female clerk. She ran past him screaming into the mall and the robber fled on foot. An off-duty RCMP officer gave chase but could not catch the man. Plainclothes officers from the quick response unit picked up a suspect in a nearby neighbourhood shortly after 6 p.m. after he allegedly broke into a car and changed his clothes. The man is described as a five-foot-six native in his early 40s. He had a long, pockmarked face and was wearing dark clothing. He was in custody Friday night facing robbery charges and is to appear in court on Monday.
The robber entered the Mic Mac Mall boutique at about 5:30 p.m. and showed a hunting knife to the female clerk. She ran past him screaming into the mall and the robber fled on foot. An off-duty RCMP officer gave chase but could not catch the man.
Plainclothes officers from the quick response unit picked up a suspect in a nearby neighbourhood shortly after 6 p.m. after he allegedly broke into a car and changed his clothes.
The man is described as a five-foot-six native in his early 40s. He had a long, pockmarked face and was wearing dark clothing. He was in custody Friday night facing robbery charges and is to appear in court on Monday.
--------------
Lantz man always on web, neighbours say
The man at the centre of an alleged child pornography distribution network almost always stays inside his home and spends a great deal of time on the Internet, neighbours in Lantz say. Michael David Fahey, 42, was arrested Thursday when RCMP executed a search warrant at his home at 1415 Highway 2 in Lantz looking for evidence of child pornography on his computer. He was later charged with possessing and distributing child porn. A man from the East Hants area who did not want to be identified but knew the occupants of the house where Mr. Fahey lives, said he is unemployed and is dating the woman who is renting the home from the government. She is suffering from diabetes and is on welfare, he said. The man also said that Mr. Fahey has a teenage daughter and spends most of his time playing games on the Internet. "He???s big into computers," he said. "That???s all he talks about." Mr. Fahey???s neighbours were shocked to hear news of the charges. They said neither he, nor the female occupant of the home, come outside much and never speak to their neighbours. "They seem to be home all the time," said Eugene Wilkinson, who has lived across the street since 1991, adding that the curtains on Mr. Fahey???s house are always drawn. "They???re hardly ever outdoors. "They pretty well stay to themselves." The house itself is in disrepair. A large garbage bin sits on the front lawn and stacks of animal carriers line the side of the house. Two satellite dishes were set up on the roof. Neighbours said high-speed Internet access is not available in the area. Mr. Fahey???s computer is now being inspected at the Atlantic Regional integrated technical crime unit. He is scheduled to appear at provincial court in Shubenacadie on Oct. 16.
Michael David Fahey, 42, was arrested Thursday when RCMP executed a search warrant at his home at 1415 Highway 2 in Lantz looking for evidence of child pornography on his computer. He was later charged with possessing and distributing child porn.
A man from the East Hants area who did not want to be identified but knew the occupants of the house where Mr. Fahey lives, said he is unemployed and is dating the woman who is renting the home from the government. She is suffering from diabetes and is on welfare, he said.
The man also said that Mr. Fahey has a teenage daughter and spends most of his time playing games on the Internet.
"He???s big into computers," he said. "That???s all he talks about."
Mr. Fahey???s neighbours were shocked to hear news of the charges. They said neither he, nor the female occupant of the home, come outside much and never speak to their neighbours.
"They seem to be home all the time," said Eugene Wilkinson, who has lived across the street since 1991, adding that the curtains on Mr. Fahey???s house are always drawn. "They???re hardly ever outdoors.
"They pretty well stay to themselves."
The house itself is in disrepair. A large garbage bin sits on the front lawn and stacks of animal carriers line the side of the house. Two satellite dishes were set up on the roof. Neighbours said high-speed Internet access is not available in the area.
Mr. Fahey???s computer is now being inspected at the Atlantic Regional integrated technical crime unit. He is scheduled to appear at provincial court in Shubenacadie on Oct. 16.
Shot dog continues recoverySPCA says vet key in saving abused dog Truro Bureau
PICTOU ??? Dr. Kathryn Finlayson is Teddy Bear???s hero and the provincial SPCA wants to make sure it stays that way. "We asked a justice of the peace for a warrant to seize the dog because it wasn???t in very good condition when it came to the veterinarian in the first place," said Judith Gass, spokeswoman for the provincial non-profit agency. "It was emaciated and not in very good health ??? fleas and parasites ??? we needed to make sure she would stay with Dr. Finlayson or go to a foster home," she said. Pictou RCMP say the dog ??? a German shepard, Labrador retriever mix ??? was tied to a pole, shot through the head, badly beaten and left to die. It was found Aug. 16. The owner told investigators the dog had gotten loose sometime between Aug. 14 and Aug. 15. Pictou RCMP is investigating the abuse of the dog, who is believed to be about three years old. Dr. Finlayson, a vet at Shiretown Animal Hospital in Pictou, performed surgery on the dog and nursed it back to health. She has absorbed the costs associated with the dog???s care and has found a foster home for her. She told The Chronicle Herald earlier this week the animal???s head was so badly swollen it didn???t even resemble a dog when a police officer brought it to her for treatment. "It looked like a little bear . . . so I called her Teddy Bear." The dog wasn???t able to open its eyes for three days and had massive bruising around its mouth and ears. Despite the extent of the dog???s injuries, Dr. Finlayson refused to put it down, saying keeping the dog alive meant someone would have to be held accountable for what was done to her. The veterinarian has won praise for her efforts on behalf of the dog from SPCA officials and police officers.
PICTOU ??? Dr. Kathryn Finlayson is Teddy Bear???s hero and the provincial SPCA wants to make sure it stays that way.
"We asked a justice of the peace for a warrant to seize the dog because it wasn???t in very good condition when it came to the veterinarian in the first place," said Judith Gass, spokeswoman for the provincial non-profit agency.
"It was emaciated and not in very good health ??? fleas and parasites ??? we needed to make sure she would stay with Dr. Finlayson or go to a foster home," she said.
Pictou RCMP say the dog ??? a German shepard, Labrador retriever mix ??? was tied to a pole, shot through the head, badly beaten and left to die.
It was found Aug. 16. The owner told investigators the dog had gotten loose sometime between Aug. 14 and Aug. 15.
Pictou RCMP is investigating the abuse of the dog, who is believed to be about three years old. Dr. Finlayson, a vet at Shiretown Animal Hospital in Pictou, performed surgery on the dog and nursed it back to health. She has absorbed the costs associated with the dog???s care and has found a foster home for her.
She told The Chronicle Herald earlier this week the animal???s head was so badly swollen it didn???t even resemble a dog when a police officer brought it to her for treatment.
"It looked like a little bear . . . so I called her Teddy Bear."
The dog wasn???t able to open its eyes for three days and had massive bruising around its mouth and ears.
Despite the extent of the dog???s injuries, Dr. Finlayson refused to put it down, saying keeping the dog alive meant someone would have to be held accountable for what was done to her.
The veterinarian has won praise for her efforts on behalf of the dog from SPCA officials and police officers.
Teddy Bear, the Pictou dog that was shot in the head and then beaten last week, continues to make progress and has come under the protection of the provincial SPCA. Truro Bureau
-------------
Police arrest C.B. man after drugs, cash seized PETIT DE GRAT ??? A 23-year-old Isle Madame man has been charged after RCMP seized cocaine, marijuana and cash from a residence. Roy (Rocky) Martell of Petit de Grat was arrested Wednesday and has been charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Police would not release the amount of drugs or cash seized but said further charges are pending. Mr. Martell will appear in Arichat provincial court in October. -------- Courthouse contraband: 2,196 knives, ammo NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. ??? They thought they had done their homework and planned for all possibilities when they introduced tough new security measures at the front door of the courthouse where Robert Pickton was on trial for first-degree murder of 26 women. But the sheriff's office did not anticipate what they would find on belt buckles, in breath-mint containers and on chains around the necks of people going into the courthouse for other trials. During the first six months of the trial that began Jan. 30, hundreds of people have been pulled aside for trying to bring weapons and drugs into the courthouse. The unanticipated bounty included 2,196 knives, 33 cans of pepper spray and 30 syringes. Officials seized drugs ??? marijuana, crack cocaine, amphetamines, crystal meth and heroin ??? on 54 occasions. They found six items identified as ammunition, explosives and/or gun parts, including one box of ammunition with 50 bullets for a .22-calibre gun. The weapons came in many guises, including a belt buckle, a pen and a crucifix. The sheriffs found a knife, called a push dagger, in a black square designed to fit in a wallet. They discovered drugs in inconspicuous places, such as cigarette packages and breath-mint containers. ???It's quite bizarre what things people think they can bring into the court,??? Don Bales, director of strategic management in the court services branch of the Ministry of the Attorney-General, said yesterday in an interview. The contraband is brought into the building even though the tight security measures introduced for Mr. Pickton's trial are obvious to anyone approaching the entrance of the courthouse in the Vancouver suburb of New Westminster. Three security gates and numerous uniformed deputy sheriffs, with guns in their holsters, are clearly visible through plate-glass windows at the entrance. A sign posted at the doorway says possession of weapons in the courthouse ???is NOT permitted.??? Another sign warns that anyone who enters the courthouse will be subject to a physical search before access is permitted. Yet they keep on coming. A deputy sheriff recalled in an interview yesterday an incident involving some weapons. The deputy could not be quoted by name for security reasons. ???A person came to the security gate with two knives,??? the deputy said. ???He told the deputy at the search gate that he was going to put his knives in his truck. He went out to his truck, came back in, went through screening process and the deputy discovered a knife on a chain around his neck, inside his shirt, hanging upside down.??? The sheriff's office had no idea why he was so determined to bring a concealed knife into the courthouse. He was detained and the knife was seized, but he was not charged. Many people who are caught tell the deputy sheriffs they did not know what they had on them. ???It's not mine??? or ???How did that get there???? are common responses, the deputy sheriff said. About 1,000 people have quickly turned away after contraband was discovered. Occasionally, these people may be followed. Deputy sheriffs have watched as people step outside and bury contraband in the courthouse garden or planters on the courthouse plaza. Others are detained to allow for a further investigation, the deputy sheriff said. A charge will not be laid for a single marijuana cigarette. But if deputy sheriffs find illegal weapons or a significant amount of drugs, they call the New Westminster police, who decide whether to pursue criminal charges. ???Our job is not enforcement, but public safety,??? Mr. Bales said. ???It's a grey zone, but we take an intermediary step to turn the matter over to the right authority. Our main focus is to provide security in the court not to seize weapons or drugs.??? Mr. Pickton is on trial for the murder of 26 women who were drug addicts and worked as prostitutes in Vancouver's skid row. If convicted on all charges, the 56-year old Port Coquitlam bachelor would be the deadliest serial killer in Canadian history. Mr. Pickton was arrested in February, 2002, after an emotional campaign by people who felt that authorities were callously indifferent to the fate of the women over several years. Tough security measures were introduced at the New Westminster courthouse to ensure the safety of those involved in the trial. The deputy sheriffs believe that none of the contraband caught in the new security net was heading into the Pickton courtroom. The drugs and weapons were brought in by people going into other trials in progress in the courthouse. Nevertheless, the security gates were taken down at the New Westminster courthouse earlier this month when the Pickton trial adjourned for a summer recess. Trials continue to be held throughout the summer in the courthouse, although on a reduced schedule. Mr. Bales said the slower summer schedule has reduced the risk. Also, the security gate has been a deterrent, leading to a drop in incidents over time. ???We take measures that are necessary, based on what's going on,??? he said. The security services keep a security gate operating continuously only at a Provincial Court building on Main Street, in the heart of Vancouver's drug-infested Downtown Eastside. Occasionally a security gate is placed outside a courtroom in other courthouses, if authorities identify an elevated risk for a specific case. During 2005, 17,528 prohibited items, including 5,593 weapons and 25 items classified as ammunition, gun parts or explosives, were seized at security gates in courthouses in Greater Vancouver. The sheriffs also took 4,200 needles and packages of drugs. ------ Senior sex assault conviction sparks call for cameras in Alta nursing homes Friday, August 25, 2006 CALGARY (CP) - An Alberta seniors rights group is calling for mandatory video cameras in private and public care facilities after a nursing aide was convicted Friday of sexually assaulting a disabled 90-year-old woman. Rex Ongee Okumu, who is to be sentenced Nov. 2, is the second Calgary care worker in the last three months to be convicted of sexually assaulting an elderly woman in a seniors home. "It is very clear that there has been no effort to provide safety to people in these residences," Ruth Maria Adria of Elder Advocates of Alberta Society said outside court following Okumu's conviction. Adria wants "cameras in every room so that the care is monitored." The demand will be hand-delivered in a letter to Alberta Seniors Minister Yvonne Fritz and copied to Justice Minister Ron Stevens. Adria said although her group has been pushing for legislative change for years, it may take horrific cases to cause enough public outcry to force protective measures for vulnerable residents. She said many seniors balk at the mere suggestion of institutional care. "Elderly people say, 'No! We don't want to go to those places because we'll be put in harm's way,' " said Adria, who added that some day-care centres have installed video cameras to monitor the care of children. "Very elderly persons are really like frail children," she said. "They need the same safety, and we'll keep pushing for it." During the trial earlier this summer, a nursing assistant testified she found Okumu, his pants and underwear around his ankles, bent over the woman in a compromising position. The woman suffers from dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Okumu denied the allegations and said he was only changing the woman's diaper at the nursing home in northwest Calgary on July 3, 2004. Court of Queen's Bench Justice Scott Brooker said he didn't believe Okumu's testimony and found the 41-year-old father of six guilty of sexual assault. However, Brooker said there was not enough evidence to convict Okumu of sexually exploiting a mentally or physically disabled person over whom he had a position of trust. Okumu showed no expression at the decision. He was taken into custody and will undergo psychiatric assessment before sentencing. Crown prosecutor Sheena Cunningham indicated she will seek upwards of two years in prison for the assault, while defence lawyer Mitch Stephensen said he would like the judge to consider a conditional sentence. She noted that although a nursing supervisor sent Okumu home after the assault allegations were made, the victim was not examined by a doctor until two days later. That physician later testified that while there was bruising in the genital area, she could not say for certain if the woman had been penetrated sexually. In June, a 72-year-old former caregiver at another Calgary nursing home was sentenced to 18 months in jail for sexually assaulting an 86-year-old resident. --------- ------------------------- Child porn case moving slowly%]--> SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. - Police in this northern Ontario city said yesterdaytheir investigation into an international child pornography case is progressing slowly due to the need for more information from Ontario Provincial Police. "We are driven by what they find," said Insp. Art Pluss. "We wait to get information from them, which is coming piecemeal, appreciating at their end we are talking international, we are talking perhaps multiple contacts throughout the world." Mark Bedford, 21, of Kingston, Ont., is accused of blackmailing more than 100 young girls in Canada and England into performing sexual acts online. Bedford allegedly contacted 10 to 20 girls aged 10 to 16 in Sault Ste. Marie. Pluss said the OPP is conducting a technical analysis of Bedford's computer and software. "They provide us with bits of information as they uncover it, and in turn, we respond locally to it," said Pluss. "We're driven much by their investigation." He would not say how many complainants Sault Ste. Marie police have interviewed. Pluss also declined to say if any more alleged victims have come forward in recent weeks. Bedford was arrested in late July and is facing a variety of child pornography charges. Girls from Edmonton, Kingston, Ottawa and Kent, England, were allegedly contacted by Bedford. -------- People fall victim to scam as Oprah fever hits South Africa Talk show host Oprah Winfrey applauds with schoolgirls in Johannesburg Monday during her brief visit to South Africa to interview prospective pupils for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. CAPE TOWN, South Africa - South African police questioned eight people Friday after discovering an investment scam that used the name of U.S. talk show queen Oprah Winfrey. Some 500 hopefuls crowded into a community centre in the eastern city of Grahamstown after being told that they had to make a simple payment of 10 rands (about $1.5 Cdn) and would receive 1,200 rands ($184 Cdn) per month for 10 years. Police who went to the community centre Thursday after hearing locals boast about their pending windfall were shouted at and told to go away, the South African Press Association reported Friday. "This process is believed to have started earlier this week. By word of mouth the community were informed of this easy way of making money," regional police spokesman Mali Govender told SAPA. He said police confiscated 160 applications and returned nearly 2000 rands ($300 Cdn) to their owners. Police said Winfrey knew nothing about it. Scams are a frequent occurrence in South Africa, mainly preying on the poor and uneducated. The latest one was apparently fuelled by publicity surrounding Winfrey's brief visit to the country to interview prospective pupils for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. At a ceremony Sunday at the site of the academy in Johannesburg, Winfrey wowed the crowd by selecting all 73 girls, aged 11-12, who had shown up for interviews. More children from other parts of South Africa will be chosen later this year. The academy, which is due to open in January, aims to offer a quality education to deprived girls and help open the door out of poverty and abuse based on Winfrey's philosophy that education is power. The academy has the blessing of South African education authorities who donated the site south of Johannesburg. The Oprah Winfrey Foundation contributed $10 million US. South Africa's education system still suffers from the legacy of apartheid. Private schools are still dominated by the white minority as they are too expensive for many black and mixed race South Africans. -------- http://groups.msn.com/Moncton101/_whatsnew http://groups.msn.com/MonctonsSingleAdults/_homepage http://groups.msn.com/NBsingles/_homepage http://groups.msn.com/LifelineGreaterMoncton/_homepage crime beat,police beat,Moncton,greater Moncton,Moncton101,atlantic Canada,Halifax,Fredericton,Saint John,Dartmouth http://groups.msn.com/Moncton101Moncton101 is a Community Site for Greater Moncton to inform and help people .Buy,sell,trade,-Give away & Looking for,Yard & Garage Sales,Coupon Exchange,Local Events,4 & 2 Rent,People LocaterF.Y.I.,Crime Beat,Promote your abilities, And much more
PETIT DE GRAT ??? A 23-year-old Isle Madame man has been charged after RCMP seized cocaine, marijuana and cash from a residence.
Roy (Rocky) Martell of Petit de Grat was arrested Wednesday and has been charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
Police would not release the amount of drugs or cash seized but said further charges are pending.
Mr. Martell will appear in Arichat provincial court in October.
But the sheriff's office did not anticipate what they would find on belt buckles, in breath-mint containers and on chains around the necks of people going into the courthouse for other trials.
During the first six months of the trial that began Jan. 30, hundreds of people have been pulled aside for trying to bring weapons and drugs into the courthouse. The unanticipated bounty included 2,196 knives, 33 cans of pepper spray and 30 syringes. Officials seized drugs ??? marijuana, crack cocaine, amphetamines, crystal meth and heroin ??? on 54 occasions.
They found six items identified as ammunition, explosives and/or gun parts, including one box of ammunition with 50 bullets for a .22-calibre gun.
???It's quite bizarre what things people think they can bring into the court,??? Don Bales, director of strategic management in the court services branch of the Ministry of the Attorney-General, said yesterday in an interview.
The contraband is brought into the building even though the tight security measures introduced for Mr. Pickton's trial are obvious to anyone approaching the entrance of the courthouse in the Vancouver suburb of New Westminster.
Three security gates and numerous uniformed deputy sheriffs, with guns in their holsters, are clearly visible through plate-glass windows at the entrance. A sign posted at the doorway says possession of weapons in the courthouse ???is NOT permitted.??? Another sign warns that anyone who enters the courthouse will be subject to a physical search before access is permitted.
Yet they keep on coming. A deputy sheriff recalled in an interview yesterday an incident involving some weapons. The deputy could not be quoted by name for security reasons.
???A person came to the security gate with two knives,??? the deputy said. ???He told the deputy at the search gate that he was going to put his knives in his truck. He went out to his truck, came back in, went through screening process and the deputy discovered a knife on a chain around his neck, inside his shirt, hanging upside down.???
The sheriff's office had no idea why he was so determined to bring a concealed knife into the courthouse. He was detained and the knife was seized, but he was not charged. Many people who are caught tell the deputy sheriffs they did not know what they had on them. ???It's not mine??? or ???How did that get there???? are common responses, the deputy sheriff said.
About 1,000 people have quickly turned away after contraband was discovered. Occasionally, these people may be followed. Deputy sheriffs have watched as people step outside and bury contraband in the courthouse garden or planters on the courthouse plaza.
Others are detained to allow for a further investigation, the deputy sheriff said. A charge will not be laid for a single marijuana cigarette. But if deputy sheriffs find illegal weapons or a significant amount of drugs, they call the New Westminster police, who decide whether to pursue criminal charges.
???Our job is not enforcement, but public safety,??? Mr. Bales said. ???It's a grey zone, but we take an intermediary step to turn the matter over to the right authority. Our main focus is to provide security in the court not to seize weapons or drugs.???
Mr. Pickton is on trial for the murder of 26 women who were drug addicts and worked as prostitutes in Vancouver's skid row. If convicted on all charges, the 56-year old Port Coquitlam bachelor would be the deadliest serial killer in Canadian history.
Mr. Pickton was arrested in February, 2002, after an emotional campaign by people who felt that authorities were callously indifferent to the fate of the women over several years. Tough security measures were introduced at the New Westminster courthouse to ensure the safety of those involved in the trial.
The deputy sheriffs believe that none of the contraband caught in the new security net was heading into the Pickton courtroom. The drugs and weapons were brought in by people going into other trials in progress in the courthouse.
Nevertheless, the security gates were taken down at the New Westminster courthouse earlier this month when the Pickton trial adjourned for a summer recess. Trials continue to be held throughout the summer in the courthouse, although on a reduced schedule.
Mr. Bales said the slower summer schedule has reduced the risk. Also, the security gate has been a deterrent, leading to a drop in incidents over time. ???We take measures that are necessary, based on what's going on,??? he said.
The security services keep a security gate operating continuously only at a Provincial Court building on Main Street, in the heart of Vancouver's drug-infested Downtown Eastside. Occasionally a security gate is placed outside a courtroom in other courthouses, if authorities identify an elevated risk for a specific case.
During 2005, 17,528 prohibited items, including 5,593 weapons and 25 items classified as ammunition, gun parts or explosives, were seized at security gates in courthouses in Greater Vancouver. The sheriffs also took 4,200 needles and packages of drugs.
Friday, August 25, 2006
CALGARY (CP) - An Alberta seniors rights group is calling for mandatory video cameras in private and public care facilities after a nursing aide was convicted Friday of sexually assaulting a disabled 90-year-old woman.
Rex Ongee Okumu, who is to be sentenced Nov. 2, is the second Calgary care worker in the last three months to be convicted of sexually assaulting an elderly woman in a seniors home.
"It is very clear that there has been no effort to provide safety to people in these residences," Ruth Maria Adria of Elder Advocates of Alberta Society said outside court following Okumu's conviction.
Adria wants "cameras in every room so that the care is monitored."
The demand will be hand-delivered in a letter to Alberta Seniors Minister Yvonne Fritz and copied to Justice Minister Ron Stevens.
Adria said although her group has been pushing for legislative change for years, it may take horrific cases to cause enough public outcry to force protective measures for vulnerable residents. She said many seniors balk at the mere suggestion of institutional care.
"Elderly people say, 'No! We don't want to go to those places because we'll be put in harm's way,' " said Adria, who added that some day-care centres have installed video cameras to monitor the care of children.
"Very elderly persons are really like frail children," she said. "They need the same safety, and we'll keep pushing for it."
During the trial earlier this summer, a nursing assistant testified she found Okumu, his pants and underwear around his ankles, bent over the woman in a compromising position. The woman suffers from dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Okumu denied the allegations and said he was only changing the woman's diaper at the nursing home in northwest Calgary on July 3, 2004.
Court of Queen's Bench Justice Scott Brooker said he didn't believe Okumu's testimony and found the 41-year-old father of six guilty of sexual assault.
However, Brooker said there was not enough evidence to convict Okumu of sexually exploiting a mentally or physically disabled person over whom he had a position of trust.
Okumu showed no expression at the decision. He was taken into custody and will undergo psychiatric assessment before sentencing.
Crown prosecutor Sheena Cunningham indicated she will seek upwards of two years in prison for the assault, while defence lawyer Mitch Stephensen said he would like the judge to consider a conditional sentence.
She noted that although a nursing supervisor sent Okumu home after the assault allegations were made, the victim was not examined by a doctor until two days later. That physician later testified that while there was bruising in the genital area, she could not say for certain if the woman had been penetrated sexually.
In June, a 72-year-old former caregiver at another Calgary nursing home was sentenced to 18 months in jail for sexually assaulting an 86-year-old resident.
-------------------------
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crime beat,police beat,Moncton,greater Moncton,Moncton101,atlantic Canada,Halifax,Fredericton,Saint John,Dartmouth
http://groups.msn.com/Moncton101Moncton101 is a Community Site for Greater Moncton to inform and help people .Buy,sell,trade,-Give away & Looking for,Yard & Garage Sales,Coupon Exchange,Local Events,4 & 2 Rent,People LocaterF.Y.I.,Crime Beat,Promote your abilities, And much more
Moncton101 wrote: Pictou RCMP say the dog ??? a German shepard, Labrador retriever mix ??? was tied to a pole, shot through the head, badly beaten and left to die. It was found Aug. 16. The owner told investigators the dog had gotten loose sometime between Aug. 14 and Aug. 15. Pictou RCMP is investigating the abuse of the dog, who is believed to be about three years old. Dr. Finlayson, a vet at Shiretown Animal Hospital in Pictou, performed surgery on the dog and nursed it back to health. She has absorbed the costs associated with the dog???s care and has found a foster home for her. She told The Chronicle Herald earlier this week the animal???s head was so badly swollen it didn???t even resemble a dog when a police officer brought it to her for treatment. "It looked like a little bear . . . so I called her Teddy Bear." The dog wasn???t able to open its eyes for three days and had massive bruising around its mouth and ears. Despite the extent of the dog???s injuries, Dr. Finlayson refused to put it down, saying keeping the dog alive meant someone would have to be held accountable for what was done to her. The veterinarian has won praise for her efforts on behalf of the dog from SPCA officials and police officers. Teddy Bear, the Pictou dog that was shot in the head and then beaten last week, continues to make progress and has come under the protection of the provincial SPCA. Truro Bureau
GRRRRRR Message to any SOB jackass who would hurt a dog or person like that:
"MAKE MY DAY"