HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-10-28, Page 3Wed+tesdrtY. October 28. 1994.
Exeter Times -Advocate
In the News
Domestic nets man six
months behind bars
EXETER — It was a case 'of one woman's word versus her abuser during a
lengthy trial at Exeter court Thursday.
•
Gregory U. Lovie, g6, of 1182 Zurich was sentenced to six months in jail .and.
12 months probation by Judge I1.G..11unter after he found Lovie guilty of as-
sault. Lovie had pleaded not guilty.
,The Crown's main. witness was the victim, Makeysha Wilde. 20, of. 11142
Grand Bend. Lovie and Wilde were living together in' a Dashwood apartment
at the time of the assault on June '6. Wilde said Lovie had smashed her•I'ac•e
off the floor of the apartment and bruised her arms and legs. The • Exeter OPT'
'had taken photographs of Wilde's injuries• when she final)
scull the, night after it happened. y reported the as-
sault ppene d. The photos were submitted by Crown attor-
ney Robert Morris as evidence.
Wilde described • her relationship with Lovie as
-"abusive," adding she stayed with him due to her fear
of what he may do to her or her family.
Wilde admitted alcohol played a factor in the inci-
dent and both her .and Lovie have drinking problem -s..
The defence argued' Wilde may have provoked the
arguments and that her feelings of isolation were
self-induced. Wilde said earlier Lovie. discouraged her
from visiting family and friends.
The Crown's second witness, April Smale, 19, of Crediton gave testimony on
Wilde's injuries and .her state of mind during two visits to a mutual friend's
home the night of the assault.
-The-defence•called Lovie to the stand. Lovie said he 'and Wilde only argued
and no assault took place. Ile added he grabbed Wilde's arms the morning af-
ter the incident to get a better Zook at scratches Wilde had evidently inflicted
herself -with a kitchen knife. Wilde earlier testified she put the marks there
herself but days 'or weeks earlier.
In its final arguments, the defence questioned the credibility of the Crown's
witnesses. and maintained there were enough inconsistencies in.their testimo-
ny. t� provide a reasonable doubt an assault had taken place. It also main-
tained Lovie s testimony contained no :inconsistencies ,and was "clean and
crisp and matter of fact."
- The Crown argued *the "key issue is whether an assault happened in this
case," adding the -police photos proved the fact.•
Judge Ilunter.said he believed the' Crown's witnesses to be believable and
,that any inconsistencies were minor.
"There's no doubt in ,y mind .you're a bully," Ilunter said to .Lovie during
sentencing. .
Lovie will 'appear in Goderich court Dec., 14 to- face another assault charge
'stemming from an incident on Qct. 9. and four bail -violation charges, two from
Aug. 14 and two from Oct. 9..•
Other.notes from Thursday's court session:
Man gets fine, probation for impaired ,
•
A clearly' remorseful Murray Whittaker received a $1,500 fine and a 12 -
month driver's licence suspension Thursday but no jail time in relation to a
car accident -that left him seriously injured.
Whittaker, 26, received the sentence front Judge Ilunter after he pleaded
guilty to impaired driving causing bodily harm at Exeter court last month. The
'•Charge stems from an Oct. 24, 1997,, single car accident -that happened at
about 8:35.p.m. along liwy.-21 north of Grand Bend.
Whittaker lost control -of the ,car with it eventually ending up on its roof in
the ditch. Ile was thrown from the car. The lone passenger, himself hurt,
sought help for .the more severely injured Whittaker: Whittaker was taken by
ambulance to London's Victoria Ilospital. Later blood tests showed the amount
of alcohol in Whittaker's blood measured 180 mg per.100-m1.
While the defence requested probation, the- Crown wanted some jail time.
Though mostly recpvered, Whittaker has lost 35 per cent of the use of his
shoulder_ after it and his wrist were broken.
Two assaults net $800 and probation
.Christopher,Prefontaine, 19, 'of Lucan was sentenced to 12 months probation
'and must pay $800 in fines - after. he , pleaded guilty to two assault charges
linked to an incident at South Huron Rec Centre.on .July 19.
Conditions of Prefontaine's probation include- he doesn't own firearms and
he has no contact with the victims.
Crown'attt rney Robert Morris didn't request jail time: Defence lawyer Dave
Reid said while alcohol cernsumption was a- factor in the assaults, Prefontaine
doesn't have a drinking problem. Reid added I'refontaine lives with his 'par-
ents :who were in attendance at court. Prefontaine's parents. told Reid the as-
saults.are'out of cha'ra,cter fir their son. '
The two female victims of the assaults were treated :and released from South
Iluron.11ospital for minor, injuries. - -
Dope'fine, weapons date set
Stephen Venner of Exeter was fined $100 after .pleading guilty to possession
• Of a controlled substance in -relation to an incident in 'Exeter on July 16.
The OPP executed a search warrant at Venner's• residence and seized a
quantity of cannabis resin.
Verifier will appear in Exeter court on Feb. 4 when -a trial date will be set on
his two counts of careless use/storage of a firearm.
Guilty plea nets.suspended sentence
Brian Misner, 36, of U141 Centralia was given a suspended sentence and 12
months probation from Judge Ilunter after Misner pleaded guilty to assaulting
a woman in Exeter on April 22.
• Guilty plea in impaireds
Timothy Sweeney, 30; of Kitchener was handed a $750 fine and a 12 month
driving suspension by 'Judge Ilunter afterleadin
and blowing over 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml blood gwlty to impaired driving
The charges stern from an incident on July 12 at 11:08 p.m. when Sweeney
was stopped by OPP east of Exeter on County Rd. 83 after they had received a
tip of an erratic driver. Sweeney blew 180 mg in the breathalyzer test.,
Sweeney, a self-employed carpenter, has no prior record.
Developer gets
another year to
finish Erin Meadows
By Craig Bradford
Aiwoc 71' STAFF
LUCAN - Luc
growing, but mayb
tle slower than an
ed.
Village -counci; grant-
. ed Ailsa . Craig's North
Middlesex Iloldi
one-year extensic
Oct. 16, 1999; to"
the Erin Meadows
division as long- as
ors on Beech St
completed by Ju
1999 and all lega
are paid,. by "North
dlesex.
The June 1 dea
for the Beech sews
to allow -for bad s
weather. .
Council made its
cision at a recent m
ing after North
dlesex's Charles Co
and Jim Young pits•
Their. efforts on be
of the village since
• Meadows began.
"We - believe N
Middlesex has mad
substantial contribution
to the structure of the
village," Corbett said.
Things Corbett ticked
off that North Mid-
dlesex has done for the
village included paying
. about $300,000 in de=
velopment charges,
paying for a . storm -
water control ' plan
($35,500) and. paying
the entire price tag of
the subdivision agree-
ment ($14;3001.
Corbett added the vil-
lage could use North
Middlesex's subdivision
agreement as a "tem-
plate" for future` agree-
- "ments and it may -want
other developers to pay
for their own storm -
water control plans.
lie cited the four year,
building freeze in the
village that ended in '92
as the main reason the
subdivision has not
been • completed on
schedule.
Council imposed a
• building freeze because
there wasn't enough
water in the village for
growth or even enough
for people to wash their
cars.
Council wrangled with
• Corbett .and Young over
putting the Beech sewer
stn is• work in writing becausec' a lit- there are two horses
ticipat- and a f)urplex as well
as several -vacant lots on
the street that •could
hook up to the sewer
ngs a• system if the line is ex=
)n till , tended.
linish North • Middlesex
• sub- - wants to co-ordinate the
sew- work "with the. re- -
are surfacing of Beech_ so
he 1,.. the road doesn't have to
I fees - be k rn up again. The
Mid- village .doesn't plan to
do any major road work
dline next year due to cuts in
ti's is- - grants_li•urn .the
prang ince.
Village administrator
de- Ronlieymer-said the vil-
eet- lage could pave_ I3eech
Mid- right after North Mid-
rbett dlesex does this sewer
lied work if Liucan .gets a
ihalf grant from the province
Erin as part of- an "election
.promise."
orth.
e a
'3
_ 1QfIN RICHARI)SON
M.P. Perth Middlesex
TOWN HALL
MEETING
Bank Merger
Consultations
Stratford
Wed: Oct. 28
7-9 p.m.
Stratford City Hall
Lucan
Thurs., Oct. 29
7-9 p.m. •
Ausable Centre,
170 Main St.
TOWN OF EXETER
SPECIAL GARBAGE PICKUP
AND LANDFILL SITE HOURS
SPECIAL WASTE GARBAGE PICKUP
Tuesday, November 3 - West side of
. Town_
Tuesday, November 10, - East side of
Town
Garden waste, branches and shrub
clippings ONLY.
Leaf pick-up will be continued at the
edge of the curb, until the first snow.
WINTER LANDFILL SITE HOURS - Dec.
1 98 -Mar 31/99
Monday and Thursdays
-8 a.m.to4p.m.'
Saturday- 8 a.m. to noon -
Landfill site will be closed on any Statutory
Holiday during the year. -
Dump passes must be obtained and paid for
at the Exeter Municipal Office, prior to
attendance at the Landfill Site. '
No appliances with freeon - such as fridges,
freezers, air conditioners, etc. are permitted
in the Landfill Site:
A Free Dump passmay be , obtained for
stoves, washers, dryers, water heaters, etc.
Exeter Works Department
• PATIO FURNITURE • WIIGKER • RATTAN • OUTDOOR LIGHTING
•
VILLAGE LIGHTING & MFG.
-- Neustadt, Ont. -- -- -
0.1
",.: "'v ; ;` ' • ; , 'Areas Lars r
ct %10141 :aii Sekdiou of
- !x ;, ,/ 1 Decer lige Outdoor
,semIt,� Lijbti►d"
"Cart Alut�rl sus b UE►efey the Casual Blejaace
Outdoor F r sfune") 4V Witter 6 Rahe,,"
FALL )OURS: 'tours,, Fri,, Sat. (10.5); Sun. 1- 6 Also by Appointment (519)119.5793