CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A P.E.I. man who had an altercation with police after making a false report about someone trying to run his motorcycle off the road was recently given a suspended sentence.
Connor Richard Arsenault, 21, appeared before Chief Judge Nancy Orr in provincial court in Charlottetown for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to obstructing a police officer.
Before sentencing Arsenault, Orr said police investigated people who they found at Boston Pizza celebrating a birthday after Arsenault alleged they tried to run him off the road.
Arsenault claimed an impaired driver hit his motorcycle, Orr said.
The allegations turned out to be false.
Arsenault originally pleaded not guilty and the matter was set for trial, but he changed his plea the day it was called.
Orr said when the police spoke to Arsenault he didn’t have a proper licence.
Arsenault became belligerent when the police told him he needed someone to get his motorcycle or it would be towed, Orr said.
She said Arsenault refused to get off the motorcycle and yelled obscenities.
Arsenault was the one who contacted the police with his allegations and they hadn’t been looking for him, Orr said.
“Certainly, the first part of it makes absolutely no sense.”
He also made a prior false complaint to the police about a motorcycle collision.
The defence suggested a conditional discharge would be appropriate for Arsenault, but Orr said it would not be given the facts in the case.
With the suspended sentence, Arsenault will be on probation for 18 months and must write apology letters to the officers involved, unless they agree to an in-person apology.
Arsenault must also write apology letters to the people he made false claims about.
Orr ordered Arsenault to perform 50 hours of community service or, at his probation officer’s discretion, he can pay $10 per hour to the Upper Room for every hour not performed.
Before Arsenault left the courtroom, Orr warned him that if he doesn’t follow the conditions of the suspended sentence or he gets more charges he could be back before the court with a more serious sentence.