Letter of Support from the Princeton RCMP
CALGARY MAN FACES BIG FINE
Darcy Cherot appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on February 10 to answer to a charge of possession of cocaine. The former Princeton resident, now living in Calgary, was arrested when police searched a residence where he stayed occasionally. The residence was rented by two women, and another man, Bob Byle, resided there occasionally. The two men used the spare bedroom.When police arrived, Cherot wanted to help his friend, Byle, and attempted to leave with a baggie containing 29.5 grams of cocaine valued at $2,360. An additional substantial amount of cocaine, along with marijuana and drug paraphernalia, was discovered in the spare bedroom.
There was no evidence that Cherot was actively involved in selling drugs, nor earning any income from it. He had no prior criminal record. He was sentenced to pay a $1,500 fine and will serve a one year probation.
HE STOLE FOR THE THRILL
Richard Van Skiver makes a good living in Hope, B.C., but he stole $70 worth of items from Princetonıs Overwaitea store for the thrill. He was arrested outside the Overwaitea on October 23, 2004. Following his guilty plea in Provincial Court in Princeton on February 10, the 41 year old man will now have the thrill of paying a $200 fine.VETERAN PLEADS GUILTY
Ken Ross appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on February 10 to plead guilty to an impaired driving charge. He had been stopped by police when the officer noticed some poor driving. Ross was tested for alcohol consumption and was over the .08 limit.His defense revealed Ross is a veteran of the first Iraq war, and suffers from post traumatic distress syndrome, for which he takes medication, and alcohol combined with it contributed to his poor driving.
This was not Rossıs first offense. Judge G. Sinclair ordered a $1,000 fine and a one year driving prohibition.
COUPLE PLEADS GUILTY
A local couple appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on February 10 to plead guilty to possession of cocaine. They were arrested on February 27, 2004. Both Blake Dunstall and Nicole Haller had prior criminal records. They said the cocaine was for their personal use. There was no evidence of trafficking. They were fined $300 each.Dunstall also pled guilty to driving while prohibited in November 2004. He was ordered to pay a $500 fine and serve a one year driving prohibition.
HEDLEY ROCKS LEAD TO FINE
A dispute between neighbours in Hedley in December brought Glenn Chevalier to court in Princeton on February 10. He pled guilty to a mischief charge.He had been in an argument with a neighbour over a barking dog, and threw rocks at the neighbourıs house, damaging Christmas lights.
Chevalier, who lives in Sicamous, was ordered to pay a $150 fine.
IMPAIRED NETS FINE
Robert Cormack, age 21, of Princeton, appeared in Provincial Court on February 10 to plead guilty to an impaired driving charge. He was arrested on October 16, 2004, and a breathalyzer test registered .20 blood alcohol level.Judge Sinclair ordered Cormack to pay a $600 fine and serve a one year driving prohibition.
JUDGE ADDS ONE YEAR
In Provincial Court in Princeton on February 10, Dustin Gereau pled guilty to a charge of driving while prohibited. On July 11, 2004, police saw Gereau driving his truck. Knowing he was prohibited, police arrested him.Judge Sinclair ordered Gereau to pay a $600 fine and added another year of driving prohibition.
DRIVER GOES TO JAIL
Trevor Schwarz will serve 21 days in jail for two charges of driving while prohibited. When he appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on February 10 to plead guilty to the charges, he asked to serve time on the first charge because he could not afford the fines he faced.Schwarz was first arrested June 2, 2004, when he was caught speeding. He was ticketed at that time for driving without insurance as well as for speeding and driving while prohibited.
The second incident on June 22, 2004, was the result of Schwarz being involved in a motor vehicle accident in which he went off the highway and hit a tree. He was driving an unlicensed, uninsured vehicle.
The 24 year old Princeton resident was ordered to serve seven days on the first count, and received a $500 fine and 14 days in jail on the second count. Jail time will be served on weekends. The added driving prohibition will be issued by the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles.
DRIVER LOSES SECOND YEAR
Joel Spedding appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton to plead guilty to a charge of driving while prohibited. He was pulled over by police on September 21, 2004. Judge Sinclair ordered Spedding to pay a $500 fine and added another year of driving prohibition.HEDLEY MAN LOSES WEAPONS
Lorne Lavallee appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on February 10 to plead guilty to charges arising from a domestic disturbance on November 20, 2004. He had been threatening to kill his wife and was striking the table next to her with a Bowie knife. He was found to have an unlicensed firearm.As Lavallee has schizophrenia controlled by medication, and can become paranoid and violent when off his medication, and admits to having a problem with alcohol, police requested a weapons prohibition be issued. The request was granted.
Lavallee was ordered to serve a 30 month probation and to do 40 hours of community work service. Judge Sinclair advised him to stay on medication.
ARMED ROBBERY NETS JAIL TIME
Princeton resident Ian Lee Naylor appeared in Penticton Provincial Court on February 9th.
He had been charged in connection with the armed robbery at Princeton General Hospital on November 17th and an armed robbery of a local residents two nights later.
The charges included robbery with an offensive weapon, the carrying of a weapon for the purpose of committing an offence, robbery with a firearm and use of a firearm while committing an indictable offence.
The 27-year old was sentenced to 42-months in jail for the hospital robbery.
YOUTH ANGERS PEDESTRIAN
Out walking his dog on August 17, 2004, Tulameen resident Kent Westerman became angry when a youth drove an ATV too close to him. The youth admitted to police he had to swerve to avoid hitting Westerman.Later that day, Westerman approached the youth at Tulameen Trading Post where the youth was putting fuel in the ATV. Westerman grabbed the pump nozzle, spraying the youth with fuel, and said if the youth did the same thing again, Westerman would shove the nozzle down the youthıs throat.
Westerman appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on February 11 to plead guilty to a charge of uttering a threat. He had no prior related offenses, and was ordered to serve a nine month probation and do 25 hours of community work service.
JUDGE JAILS DRUNK DRIVER
On February 10, in Provincial Court in Princeton, 25 years and 12 impaired driving convictions caught up with Philip Bosman. Between 1977 and 1999, Bosman had 10 impaired driving convictions.Last year, on April 29, he was apprehended after driving off the ferry at Departure Bay in Nanaimo. His breath tested at .18. Later last year, on July 24, the 64 year old was stopped by police in Princeton. On that occasion, his breathalyzer test registered .28.
Judge G. Sinclair sentenced Bosman to six month is jail for the Nanaimo offense, and two years less a day on the Princeton offense, concurrent. In addition, Bosman is to serve a five year driving prohibition.
THREATS LEAD TO JAIL
Threatening his girlfriendıs son with a knife, and uttering threats against the youthıs father, resulted in a sentence of nine days in jail for Kevin Woods of Coalmont.Woods appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on February 11 to plead guilty to the charge.
Woods was remorseful about losing his temper, but in addition to the jail time, Woods will serve a one year probation with a conditional recommendation by Judge Sinclair for anger management counselling.
JUDGE NAILS LOCAL COMPANY
On February 11, Brian Fear represented himself and his company, Coverall Coveralls, in Provincial Court in Princeton. He and his company were charged with violations under the Waste Management Act, and Fear pled guilty to three of the charges.
The company had laundered industrial coveralls and "rags" used to clean printing presses, producing chemical wastes.
The company intended to recycle the wastes,and had the waste stored in 77 barrels. In 2002, the company was fined $5,000 and Fear $1,000 under the Waste Management Act, and was to ensure the wastes were properly stored. He was given nine months to do this and was to post a $15,000 bond. He was also to pay Water, Land and Air Protection $2,247 for sampling costs to the Ministry.
Fear attempted to comply, but could not find a company willing to put up the bond. He moved some of the barrels to Alberta to a yard where they were to be stored temporarily before going into a building under construction. Fear did not have a permit to transport the barrels and thought the licensed carrier had the permit. He was subsequently convicted in Alberta for unlawful storage of the barrels.
In the meantime, the companyıs business took a turn for the worse with higher natural gas costs and higher transportation costs, combined with lower revenue.
Crown Counsel noted the company is on the verge of bankruptcy and is no longer operating.
Judge G. Sinclair described Fearıs experience as a "bureaucratic nightmare".
Judge Sinclair sentenced Fear to serve one day in jail on each count, and ordered the company to pay a $7,000 fine on each count.
