Drug defendants set for joint appearance
Brief court proceedings held this week for Christopher Scott Phillips, 42, and Maurice Chester Paul, 43, but prosecutor notes they must deal with trafficking charges together
Two men arrested and detained last month on numerous charges, including possessing hard drugs for trafficking, appeared in court separately this week but it was noted they both have to be present for the case.
Maurice Chester Paul, 43, of Fredericton, appeared in Fredericton provincial court by telephone from jail Tuesday on numerous criminal charges stemming from his Dec. 16 arrest.
He’s charged jointly with Christopher Scott Phillips, 42, of Crouse road in Zealand, with possession of hydromorphone, cocaine, fentanyl, meth and Xanax for the purpose of trafficking; possession of a stolen 2021 Dodge Ram belonging to Kenneth Van Aarle; possession of break-in instruments (bolt cutters and a crowbar); possessing of proceeds of crime; and possession of 22-calibre ammunition while prohibited by a court order.
Both are also accused of violating separate probation orders Dec. 16 as well, while Phillips faces a related count of driving while impaired by a drug.
On Tuesday, duty counsel Gwynne Hearn said Paul’s legal-aid application had been approved but a defence lawyer hadn’t been assigned to his file yet.
Judge Scott Brittain set the matter over to Jan. 16 for election of mode of trial and pleas.
Phillips, meanwhile, appeared in provincial court by telephone from custody Thursday, also to elect mode of trial and to enter pleas.
His counsel, lawyer Heather Daigle, was on hand for the appearance, and she requested an adjournment so she could obtain disclosure of the Crown file and to confer with her client.
However, prosecutor Christopher Lavigne noted that since Phillips and Paul are jointly charged for the Dec. 16 allegations, they’re required to answer to those counts at the same time, and to make the same election on the mode of trial.
Brittain acknowledged that and set the Phillips matter over to Jan. 16 as well.
Court also heard Tuesday that Paul was facing an additional but unrelated charge: an Oct. 10 probation violation by failing to report in person to his probation officer.
Upon hearing the charge, Paul countered that he reported to his probation officer on the day he was released from jail after serving an unrelated sentence.
Brittain set that matter over to Jan. 16 as well.
The Fredericton Police Force issued a news release earlier this month about Phillips’ and Paul’s arrests.
It said officers investigated a suspicious vehicle in the Islandview area of the city Dec. 16.
That vehicle was found to be stolen, police reported, and officers arrested the two occupants, now alleged to be Phillips and Paul.
The release said a search of the vehicle turned up $26,000 worth of hard drugs and about $3,000 in cash.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.