SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — A Prince County man opted to go to trial on disturbance and weapons charges.
Adam Joseph Pitre, 43, pleaded not guilty in Summerside provincial court recently to charges of causing a disturbance and possession of a weapon - a knife - for a dangerous purpose. The charges stem from an incident on Sept. 13.
Pitre then failed to appear in court on Nov. 18 resulting in a third charge, to which he also pleaded not guilty.
A trial is scheduled for April 30.
Driving on drugs lands P.E.I. man in jail
A Prince County man was high on methamphetamines when officers pulled him over back in June.
Colin Alexander McAssey, 24, pleaded guilty in Summerside provincial court recently to possession of illegal drugs and driving while impaired.
In Rosebank on June 10, RCMP saw a pickup truck driving on the shoulder of the road for several kilometres.
Officers pulled the vehicle over and found McAsssey at the wheel, he was shaking and sweating.
The officer asked if he was on any medications and McAssey said he wasn’t.
McAssey passed a roadside screening test for alcohol and officers asked him to perform a field sobriety test, which he failed.
He was then arrested for impaired driving. While under caution, he told officers he had consumed methamphetamine.
Officers seized three grams of crystal meth as well as pills and paraphernalia at the scene.
A blood test was sent to the national lab and came back positive for methamphetamines.
McAssey had no previous record and hasn’t used drugs since the incident back in June.
For driving impaired, Judge Krista MacKay sentenced McAssey to three days in custody and a $1,500 fine. For possession of meth, he was sentenced to one day, to be served concurrently as well as $100 in victim surcharges.
McAssey must also pay $450 in victim surcharges and will be under a driving prohibition for 12 months.
Wellington woman caught driving impaired
A Wellington woman told Summerside provincial court recently that she drove drunk because there were no taxis to get her home.
Annik Vaillancourt, 36, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a breath sample after police arrested her for impaired operation of a vehicle.
At 1:25 a.m. on Dec. 5, police on patrol in New Annan saw a vehicle travelling very slowly in a 90 km/hr zone. The vehicle weaved into the shoulder and then across the centre line several times. Officers then pulled over the vehicle and found Vaillancourt at the wheel.
She appeared intoxicated and the officer could smell alcohol.
Vaillancourt, who is a francophone, became resistant when officers tried to get a breath sample, saying she didn’t understand what was going on. Officers tried to find someone to communicate with her in French, and got someone on the phone from New Brunswick, but Vaillancourt continued to resist providing a sample.
Police kept her in custody overnight.
Judge Krista MacKay sentenced her to one day in custody which was served the night of the offence.
Vaillancourt was also fined $2,000. She’ll be prohibited from driving for 12 months and must pay $600 in victim surcharges.
Prohibited driver checked at Borden-Carleton checkpoint
A Charlottetown man under a driving prohibition was fined after officers discovered him behind the wheel.
Derrick Kasirye, 24, pleaded guilty in Summerside provincial court recently to driving while prohibited.
On Nov. 21, Kasirye drove into the checkpoint at the Confederation Bridge.
He had no identification on him, but officers were able to determine who he was and that he was under a driving ban from Oct. 13.
Judge Krista Mackay fined Kasirye $1,000 and handed down a further one-year driving prohibition. He must also pay $300 in victim surcharges.
