Standoff suspect calms down, apologizes for outbursts
Aaron Glen Narvey, 32, of Fredericton, exhibited volatile, erratic behaviour in court earlier this month, but was far more rational Wednesday
A Fredericton man who previously refused to emerge from his cell and cursed at a judge appeared far more centred and calm in his latest court appearance Monday.
Aaron Glen Narvey, 32, of no fixed address, was arrested after a three-hour standoff with Fredericton police officers March 8, and attempts to bring him before the courts since then proved to be unusual or tumultuous.
But on Monday, he appeared in person before provincial court Judge Lucie Mathurin, and he was well behaved.
“I’d like to apologize for the way I acted the last time I was in court,” Narvey said Monday from the courtroom prisoner’s dock, clad in orange, jail-issued sweats.
He’d previously been found fit to stand trial after a five-day psychiatric assessment.
Narvey faces March 8 charges of assaulting his mother Shelley Brewer and brother Kristopher Narvey with a weapon (bear spray), unlawfully confining his mother, uttering threats to cause her death and/or bodily harm, and breaching a police undertaking and a probation order.
He also has outstanding charges from before the alleged events of March 8. He’s accused of Oct. 13 counts of assault on a police officer with a weapon (a car), flight from police, dangerous driving, possession of a stolen car and breach of probation; another assault on his mother, property damage and a probation violation, alleged to have occurred Sept. 15; a Sept. 14 count of breach of probation; and a failure to attend court Nov. 14.
Duty counsel Doug Smith told court Monday he’d spoken with Narvey and had advised him to set over his charges so he could retain legal counsel, but the defendant had told him he wanted to enter pleas.
But Narvey changed his mind, telling the court differently.
“I want to set it over and get a lawyer,” he told Mathurin.
The judge said that was probably advisable, and she set the case over to April 17 for pleas.
Mathurin asked if Narvey had an issue with appearing by video for his next court date, and Narvey responded he was OK with that.
Monday’s events were a marked departure from his previous court appearances this month.
On March 9, he was incoherent and unintelligible as officials tried to get him to make his initial court appearance by telephone from the police station.
He refused to leave his cell at the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre on March 10 for a video-conference appearance.
Narvey was to be brought to the Fredericton courthouse in person March 13, but again, he refused to leave his Saint John jail cell, and that prompted the fitness-assessment order.
A psychiatric report filed with the court found him fit to stand trial, court heard March 20, and Narvey appeared by video for that hearing.
Though Narvey waived his right to a bail hearing at that time, he claimed he was mentally unwell and ranted about the charges.
“I’m pleading insanity,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on, your honour.”
Mathurin tried to read the charges against Narvey on March 20, Narvey said, “Hey, your honour, you can go fuck yourself,” and he hung up the handset used for the video-conference appearance.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.