Letter of Support from the Princeton RCMP
COURT NEWS - September 13 & 14, 2007
ASSAULT LEADS TO JAIL
A couple, Ms. Campbell and Mr. O'Malley, were visitors at the home of Fred Haffey. Kenneth Ross, a good friend of Haffey, was at Haffey's home.
The group had dinner together but Ross, who had a lot to drink, began to insult Ms. Campbell. She tapped him on the forehead and told him she did not like what he was saying to her.
Her objections were met with violence as Ross attacked her. Her face and arm were badly bruised, although Ross maintained he had not punched her, just pushed her.
Ross appeared in Provincial Court on September 13 to plead guilty to an assault charge.
Ross had prior alcohol related convictions.
Judge G. Sinclair ordered 30 days of house arrest for Ross, with numerous conditions, followed by six months probation.
GIRL PLEADS GUILTY
A female youth appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton to plead guilty to charges of assault and uttering threats. She was also charged with a property damage incident.
She had a prior record of aggressive incidents. Alcohol consumption and/or illegal drugs were cited as probable causative factors.
Judge Sinclair was informed that local police are concerned about her violent behaviour when she is under the influence of alcohol. She had been forcibly removed from a local public place when she began using abusive profanity at a public event. Police believed she had been consuming alcohol at that time. She had been belligerent with police and had been held in jail.
The youth was ordered to serve a year's probation with a number of conditions, including counselling, and was directed to pay for damages she had caused.
DON'T DRIVE IT HOME!
Timothy McMullin was partying at a friend's home and told his friend he would take one of the friend's vehicles to drive home. The friend said, "If you do that, I will report it stolen."
McMullin did it, and his friend reported the vehicle stolen. Police found the vehicle at McMullin's home the next morning, and McMullin was arrested.
The 26 year old Princeton man appeared in Provincial Court on September 13 to plead guilty to a charge of taking a vehicle without the owner's permission. He was ordered to pay a $300 fine.
PROBATION FOR ASSAULT
In Provincial Court in Princeton on September 13, Dean Terbasket entered a guilty plea to an assault. The charge arose following an incident at a friend's house in Hedley. Terbasket entered the home to find his wife there, and became angry. He shook her and then left, but came back and shook her again. He had been consuming alcohol.
The couple has four children and are still together. Terbasket has cut back on his drinking.
The 44 year old man was given a conditional discharge with a nine month probation with recommendations for
counselling.
Judge orders big fine
Andrew Kovacs, age 44, of Princeton, appeared in Provincial Court on September 14 to plead guilty to a charge of driving without due care and attention under the BC Motor Vehicle Act. He was apprehended when a police officer noted he was driving at 50 kmph. on Bridge Street. Kovacs had been drinking prior to being arrested. He was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
Judge restricts driving
Kenneth Burke, of Coalmont, was in Provincial Court in Princeton on September 14 to plead guilty to a charge of driving without due care and attention. He had been arrested after his vehicle left the road and went into the brush along Coalmont Road. When arrested, he had been drinking, but stated a vehicle had forced him off the road.
Burke was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and his driving privileges have been restricted to 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM for the purpose of going to work on his mining claims.
Judge orders jail for breach
Roland Meier appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on September 14 to plead guilty to two charges of shoplifting and one of breach of probation. Meier had stolen candy from Fields Store and DVDs from Overwaitea in Princeton. He was ordered to pay a $100 fine for the candy theft and $150 for the movie theft.
Meier had been serving a probation in May when he failed to attend alcohol abuse counselling. He was given another appointment for counselling, but did not attend. Judge G. Sinclair ordered seven days in jail, commencing immediately.
Young man gets break
Tyler Towe, a 22 year old Lower Mainland man, appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on September 14 to plead guilty to a charge of possession of a controlled substance. Towe's vehicle had been stopped by police for speeding. During questioning at the roadside, the police officer noted the smell of marijuana and saw marijuana on the floor of the vehicle. Towe had no prior convictions.
Judge Sinclair opted to give Towe an absolute discharge, but warned the young man "marijuana is illegal whether you agree or not" and cautioned him to avoid ruining his life by possessing the drug in the future.
Drugs lead to probation
Maria Slonimer, age 35, of Nelson appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on September 13 to plead guilty to a charge of possession of a controlled substance. Slonimer was arrested in Princeton area when stopped for speeding. The police officer noted a strong smell of marijuana in the vehicle and a subsequent search revealed four grams of marijuana and 17 tabs of Ecstasy.
Slonimer was given a conditional discharge with a six month probation, with counselling, and must do 10 hours of unpaid community service work.
Woman pleads on driving charge
In Provincial Court on September 13, Nicolah Hodgson, of Princeton, pled guilty to driving with over .08 mg. of blood alcohol under Section 244 of the BC Motor Vehicle Act. She was apprehended when a police officer in a parked police vehicle noticed what he believed was an attempt by an oncoming driver to avoid him. He followed the vehicle and pulled it over.
Hodgson failed the breath test and was charged. She was ordered to pay a $600 fine and will serve a one year BC driving prohibition.
Elder may not drive
An older Princeton resident, 68 year old Robert Zimmerman, appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton to plead guilty to an impaired driving charge. He had been apprehended in Penticton on July 1.
Zimmerman must pay a $600 fine and serve a one year driving prohibition.
Province of British Columbia Criminal Court Lists
