Letter of Support from the Princeton RCMP
COURT NEWS - April 10, 2008
COUPLE WINS, LOSES IN COURT BATTLE
A trial in Princeton's Provincial Court last week resulted in a mixed judgement for Karen and Gary Fraser. They were both charged with obstruction of a peace officer while he was doing his duty, and Karen Fraser was charged with impaired driving and refusing to give a breath sample on demand.
The refusal to blow was dismissed by Judge Sinclair because the officer who made the demand did not have reasonable and probable grounds to make the demand. What happened was that the Frasers were involved in an altercation with the officer who did have reasonable grounds due to a report he had heard on police radio, but he had been taken out of the investigation after the altercation took place. According to the evidence, the officer who made the demand had no grounds except the word of the first officer.
In regard to the altercation, Judge Sinclair found both Frasers guilty of obstructing the officer who attempted to arrest Karen Fraser on suspicion of impaired driving.
Circumstances revealed in evidence showed Karen Fraser had refused to go with him and while he was attempting to handcuff her, he bent her back over the porch railing. Fraser has a bad back and is on permanent disability. Her husband, Gary, feared she would be seriously injured, and tried to pull the officer away from her, resulting in what he described as a "wrestling match".
Both Frasers were ordered to serve a one year probation with a conditional discharge at the end of the year if they meet all of the conditions.
MAN PLEADS TO FRAUD
In Provincial Court in Princeton on April 10, Robert Clark Pelly entered a guilty plea to a fraud charge. Between December 29, 2006 and January 4, 2007, Pelly used a credit card number without authorization at Princeton PetroCan.
Pelly told the court the person who owned the credit card was supposed to have gone in and authorized it, but never did.
Judge Sinclair ordered Pelly to pay $243.84 to PetroCan, and to do 16 hours of community service work while serving a one year probation.
JUDGE LIFTS LICENCE
On April 10, in Provincial Court in Princeton, Daniel Kastor entered a guilty plea to a charge of impaired driving. He was apprehended when police saw him do a rolling stop at the Highway 5A intersection and then drive slowly up Tapton Avenue.
As Kastor had no prior convictions, he was ordered to pay the minimum $600 fine and is prohibited from driving for one year.
BREACH BRINGS JAIL
Rebecca Williams appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on April 11 to plead guilty to two charges of breach of probation conditions. She was sentenced to two days in jail.
Province of British Columbia Criminal Court Lists
