Pleas in witness bribery cases postponed
Welamukotuk Chief Shelley Marie Sabattis, 56, and Winton Labelle Walter Saulis, 36, are accused of trying to dissuade Chanel Sabattis from testifying against Saulis in assault case
The chief of a capital-region First Nation and a man awaiting sentencing next month for domestic violence both sought adjournments of related bribery cases in provincial court this week.
Chief Shelley Marie Sabattis, 56, of the Welamukotuk (Oromocto) First Nation, wasn’t present in Fredericton provincial court Tuesday to answer to joint charges with eight other members of her community related to an April 29 incident.
Lawyer Adrian Forsythe, acting as an agent for her defence counsel, Alex Pate, on that matter, sought an adjournment.
Forsythe also appeared on the chief’s behalf on another, unrelated criminal matter: attempting between Nov. 23 and 29 to bribe Chanel Sabattis to convince her not to testify in a trial against Winton Labelle Walter Saulis, with the intent to obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice.