Loading...
The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-11-10, Page 1Terrence t. BY DAVE SYKES A supreme court jury rendered a verdict of ng,t guilty on Terrence Lloyd Bullen, 45, facing a charge of manslaughter and ending the four-day trial in Goderich last Thursday. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching a verdict at approximately 6:15 p.m. Bullen, a Bayfield school teacher, was charged with manslaughter following an incident in the secluded laneway leading to the Bullen home in Bayfield on May in which Ronald Dejong, 25, R.R. _ Bayfield was shot and killed and his brother Leroy Dejong, was wounded in the shoulder and wrist. After the jury foreman, had delivered the -verdict, a distraught Bullen quietly asked, "What did he say?" He later commented, "I was listening so hard I couldn't hear it." Mr. Justice William Maloney of the Supreme Court of Ontario said after the verdict was given, "The verdict was a proper one and I' am in complete agreement." He then turned to Mr. Bullen. "You are an • ullen acquitted after four-day tria intelligent and sensitive fellow and I am sure the events of that night will be with you as long as you live," he said. "I believe the jury was saying you are innocent in the rtruer sense of the word. You are free to go Mr. Bullen." A second charge of attempted murder has been withdrawn. ASLEEP Earlierin the trial under. examination by defense counsel J. M. Donnelly, BuCle`n stated that after a day of working around the yard of his home he fell asleep on the couch in the television room on the second storey. He was awakened abruptly by a noise outside. He said the noise seemed close and consisted mainly of shouting and a thumping sound. He then heard a noise behind him and in the darkness made his way across the room and ran into his son, Terrence Bullen Jr.in the doorway. He said his son acted in a 'frenzied Manner' and pushed him aside while saying: "Help us. You have to help. They are going to kill us," In the brief encounter with his son he also noticed that he held his gun, a calibre pistol Nicole Scruton was seen walking around at the Snowflake Bazaar last Wednesday with her friend Rlig Bird, The bird was made by her uncle. Various hand made items were on sale atsthe bazaar which is held every year by the Legion t adies 1uxiliary to raise money for their rious projects (staff photo) which Bullen Sr. kept in the top drawer of his dresser. He took the gun from his son and said, "You won't need this." His son ran downstairs and he followed across the kitchen and outside to the yard. "I still didn't know where the trouble was and kind of stumbled ahead," he said. "We ap- proached the van and I could see car lights behind it and there was more shouting." He'stated that because of the bright car lights. he could only detect two people closing the car doors and he shouted for them `to get out of here'. He then claimed the car started coming back towards him at great speed with the headlights blinding him. Bullen stated he thought the car would hit him and braced himself but the doors of the car opened and two forms leaped out at the same time the vehicle came to a stop approximately three to five -feet behind the parked van, "I stepped back and there were two enormous people, two giants coming towardsme," he said, "I told them to get back off the property and one Turn topage 2 • TERRENCE BULLEN the oderich SIGNAL — STAR t i YEAR -15 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1977 Less rubber stamping CENTS PER COpy More debate by board The Huron County Board of Education made a move at its Monday meeting that should en- courage greater involvement of trustees in board business in 19%8 and result in more debate during monthly board meetings, The board realigned its committee . system dropping the present two committee policy and replacing it with a five committee one. The move was made after a three-day board seminar held earlier. nn.November. Trustees met in a three-day private session to review 'its organization and method of co-operation and agreed to,give the five committee system a one- year trial period to see if it is more'effecitive. Director of Education John Cochrane said Monday that the five committee system is designed to make more members of the board actively involved in hoard business. He said the new system should encourage more debate during board meetings and should make the public more aware of what the board of education does. Cochrane explained that under the old two committee system the bulk of the board's work was done at the committee level and only in- volved half of the board members, He said seven of the I (1 trustees sat on the education committee and seven on the management committee. The vice-chairman usually sat; in on one of the committee's meetings and the chairman on the other. "When a committee made a recommendation to the board to be voted on it already had half the hoard voting in favor of it without the other half even knowing about it," said Cochrane. "What usually happened is the•other half would assume that if the other committee was in favor of it it must be good and voted in favor of it." Donation kicks off drive The first donation for a new "Community Grandstand" was made Monday morning when Victoria and Grey manager Al Weatherby signed a check for $1,000 and gave it to Mayor Deb Shewfelt and fund raising committee member Larry Jeffrey. The money will be deposited at V&G and a drive started to raise $(i5,000 for the new grandstand. The project is aimed at providing Goderich with a community ,facility that will permit spectator sports to be staged at Agriculture Park with an area for fans to sit comfortably. Along with that there will hopefully be an area that can be used as a community hall big enough to permit bingos or other functions that usually attract large crowds. The facility will also house an area that can be used for a change room for teams playing on the park sports fields and it will have an enclosed seating area that will permit fans to sit in comfort during inclementw!eather. Jeffrey, a member of a fund raising committee for the project, said he felt the town should have more than just a 90 foot grandstand to permit horse racing. He said a grandstand may have racing enthusiasts as its major user but added that the Goderich Trotting Association wouldn't he putting up anything in the way of what is planned. "The trotting association is only one group that will be using the grandstand," he said. "They only need a 90 foot building but we want to make this a public facility that the town could make full use of. We're looking at a building that can seat 1,:00 people." Mayor .Deb Shewfelt said the community would have to support the project to see it through. He said there was no way the grand- stand could he financed through taxes adding that money would have to come from donations and various government schemes aimed at financing community centres. Jeffrey said the committee is planning a number of fund raising events and hoped to get the project construction underway very soon. He said a commitment for money would have to he made before any construction is to take place. The five committee system was presented to the hoard by Cochrane after he worked with the four superintendents of education to break down hoard responsibilities and set up committees to handle them. He said the committees will each he given an area of business to handle and will work with a superintendent at the committee level. He explained that he basically paralleled the comt ittee,s•with the superintendents' roles in the education system. Eachcommittee will consist of a chairman elected by the board and two members appointed by a striking committee made up of the board chairman and vice-chairman and the four elected chairmen. An executive com,inittee will consist of the hoard chairman and vice- chairman', the past chairman if he or she wishes and one or two members of the hoard. whichever is required to bring the committee membership to four. Other committees will he the fiscal and property policies committee. the instructional personnel policies committee, the school programs policy committee and the student policies committee. Each will have a chairman and two appointed members. Cochrane said no trustee will sit on more than Turn to page 3 • Pauline McGibbon sends her regrets The Lieutenant -Governor of Ontario Pauline McGibbon will not be coming to Goderich next Wednesday as part of the Jubilee Three celebrations to present the town's new coat of arms. Town officials received a call from the office of Mrs. McGibbon Tuesday, asking that the Lieutenant -Governor be excused from her duties in Goderich next week due to a personal emergency. Deputy•reeve Eileen Palmer said the presentation of the coat of arms would probably he made in the spring. • Dumped mess dumped again Councillor Elsa Haydon had the matter of the illicit–dumping over the river bank at the end of Anglesea Street dumped in her lap Monday evening when council met. Only minutes earlier, Councillor Haydon asked council to consider the possibility of having the Environmental Com- mittee, chaired by Deputy -reeve Eileen Palmer work with the Works and Engineering Com- mwee cod,' coo by Da ac hewer to have the mess along the Maitland River cleaned up. Several weeks ago, council learned that some person or persons had been dumping garbage over the river bank. it was brought to council's attention by Ian Deslauriers of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority. At that time, Councillor Dave Gower had suggested the Pierparking a problem Goderich Police Chief Pat King says there is a problem with parking on both sides of the town's pier, especially the north side where ships are tied up. The local police have authority from the Departfhent of Transport to enforce the regulation of the Federal Harbours and Shipping Act which prohibits unauthorized parking on jjetties wharfs and piers:The penalty is a .4.8 fine. Chief King says the harbour master and shipping people want the Federal regulation enforced because of problems which have arisen when ships are docking and vehicles are parked in the way of this docking procedure. Vehicles parked on _the -pier in the way of docking are hazardous to the seamen. There is also the possibility of damage being caused to vehicles by wires and ropes used in the mooring process, says Chief King. The Goderich Police Department arc en- forcing the Federal regulation. Chief King says the police have no ohjeetion to people driving Out to the pier to drop off fishing equipment as long as they don't remain parked on the pier or wherever signs are posted prohibiting parking. Chief King . a's there have been as many as 30 to 40 cars parked nn the pier at one time. "We know it's a popular pass lime and a good spot to fish but we ask that. the fishermen he aware of the parking prohibition and that they appreciate why there are such prohibitions," he said. property belonged to the Canadian National Railway and that CNR should he responsible for cleaning it np. Since then, according to Councillor Haydon; a letter was received from CNR "which said nothing". She felt the mess should be cleared away. "If this isn't an environmental matter I wouldn't know what would be," said Haydon. Councillor Gower termed it "ridiculous" ,to suggest that' matter he left with the en- vironmental committee. "That's private land," Gower told council again. "Speaking of dumping," stated Deputy -reeve Palmer," I don't appreciate this being dumped onto the environmental committee." it was suggested that before charges can be laid, there has to he'evidence the dumping is continuing. A fine; of $300 is provided for in the bylaw for persons who are found to be dumping illegally. The matter was referred to the Parks com- mittee with power to act, on motion of Dave Gower and Eileen Palmer, Councillor Haydon referred to the decision as "childish actions". She told council members are aware the Parks crew has been laid off for the winter months. "Surely you aren't suggesting I go down there myself with a wheelbarrow to clean up the mess," said Councillor Ha.ydon. But council considered the matter closed.