Drug dealer abandons plea challenge
Lawrence O’Neil Bowmaster, 46, of Moncton, sought to have guilty pleas on Fredericton trafficking charges tossed, but new counsel withdrew application
A Moncton man who had sought to withdraw his guilty pleas to offences of possessing fentanyl and cocaine for trafficking purposes gave up on that request Monday.
Lawrence O’Neil Bowmaster, 46, AKA Lawrence Berube, of Mountain Road in Moncton, previously entered guilty pleas in Fredericton provincial court to July 7, 2021, counts of possessing fentanyl, cocaine and hydromorphone, all for the purpose of trafficking.
He also admitted to related charges of driving while impaired by drugs; possessing less than $5,000 deemed to be the proceeds of crime; and driving while suspended.
Bowmaster was scheduled for sentencing this spring for those crimes, but instead, he sought to withdraw his guilty pleas.
He was scheduled to go through a hearing Monday to determine if his pleas weren’t voluntary, but his new defence counsel, Spencer MacInnis, said the hearing wouldn’t be necessary.
“We’re no longer going to pursue that avenue,” she told Judge Cameron Gunn.
The defence lawyer said she’d listened to the audio recording of the day her client pleaded guilty when he was represented by defence counsel Doug Smith, and she’d spoken to Smith, and determined the guilty pleas were proper.
The judge said that instead of the hearing on the voluntariness of the pleas, the case could proceed to sentencing right away.
But MacInnis said she wasn’t prepared for sentencing arguments.
“I am aware this sentencing has been very much delayed,” she said, but nevertheless, she requested an adjournment.
“I would just like some time to gather some case law.”
But Gunn was intent on forging ahead, noting it wasn’t an unusual case and it shouldn’t take MacInnis long to research precedents.
“Now or tomorrow morning,” he said.
The defence lawyer also noted Bowmaster expects to be undergoing surgery in July, but Gunn said that wouldn’t affect sentencing arguments.
He said it’s also possible that he might not decide on the sentence immediately after hearing submissions.
After a brief recess so she could confer with her client, MacInnis asked for a one-week adjournment of the sentencing hearing, and the judge granted the request.
But he warned that would be the last adjournment in the case.
“The sentence will proceed at that time regardless of what else happens,” Gunn said.
He set the sentencing over to July 5.
Bowmaster will remain free on conditions until that time.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.