Time served for driver who sped down northside walking trial
Bradley Ronald Carter, 34, managed to get escape from Fredericton police three times on the same day last fall
A Fredericton-area man with a history of driving offences was so determined to evade police last fall, he sped down the northside walking trail around the lunch hour, a court heard.
Bradley Ronald Carter, 34, of no fixed address, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Thursday for sentencing, having previously pleaded guilty to numerous crimes.
Crown prosecutor Rebecca Butler said Thursday after Carter was pulled over in the Hanwell area and charged for driving while suspended July 20, city police officers spotted a black Dodge Ram on Cliffe Street at about 11:30 a.m. Oct. 14 and noted the vehicle matched the description of one associated with Carter.
The Ram pulled into the St. Mary’s Supermarket parking lot, court heard, and another vehicle driven by a different suspect who was also arrestable at the time pulled up alongside Carter’s vehicle.
Butler said police planned to box in both vehicles to arrest both men, but Carter managed to slip out of the trap.
He pulled around a Fredericton police cruiser and exited the parking lot by driving over the commercial complex’s lawn, onto Cliffe Street and then westbound on Union Street at high speed.
Out of a concern for public safety, the prosecutor said, officers backed off but tracked the Ram, noting it pulled into the parking lot of Shoppers Drug Mart on Main Street.
Police again approached to effect an arrest, Butler said, but Carter drove his vehicle onto the walking trail and barrelled down it at a time of day when a lot of pedestrians were using it.
Carter managed to get away, court heard, but officers spotted him again late that night and attempted to stop his vehicle, even deploying a spike strip at one point. But Butler said he was able to get away again.
Charges of dangerous driving, fleeing from police and breaching probation were pending against Carter as a result of the events of Oct. 14, the prosecutor said, so police were searching for him in the days following.
Busted on a stolen bike
The suspect was spotted near Hanwell on a motorcycle around 6 p.m. Oct. 19, she said, and while he tried to flee again, an officer was able to shove him off the bike and arrest him.
The motorcycle turned out to be stolen, court heard, and Carter was charged with possessing stolen property, resisting arrest and breaching probation, as well as related counts of driving while suspended.
Butler, noting Carter has an extensive criminal record, mostly for driving-related offences, asked the court to impose an overall jail term of 7½ to 8½ months, plus a further period of probation and a driving prohibition.
Defence lawyer Edward Derrah said the offender has wrestled with drug issues in the past, but of greater concern is his mental health, for which he needs some help.
Carter said he regretted his actions.
“I’m not going to do it again,” he said.
Derrah said while the Crown’s sentencing recommendation was reasonable, he pointed out that once one factors in the customary remand credit, Carter has essentially served 170 days in custody, just shy of a six-month credit.
Derrah said that’s really not far from what the prosecution is asking, so he suggested the court essentially sentence him to the time he’s already served.
Judge Lucie Mathurin accepted the defence submission, imposing an overall jail term of 165 days, which Carter had already served on remand.
She said his record shows he tends to get into trouble when he gets behind the wheel, and he’ll have to stop doing that.
The judge imposed a 12-month probation period, during which Carter is to attend the mental-health clinic for assessment and treatment.
Mathurin also banned him from driving for the next year.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.
I didn't watch the proceedings, but I'm sure they were accurately reported by Don. Having seen many similar hearings in person as an observer I'm not surprised at the time-served sentence, but that doesn't mean I'm happy with it. I think the potential for grave injury alone warranted a much stronger sanction.
And I doubt whether a 12 month driving prohibition will mean much. He was already "suspended" (admittedly not as serious as "prohibited" but still...).
I love this reporting Don, hope this venture works out for you. It is sorely missed in many markets, including here in the Charlottetown area where I now reside. Limited crime reporting, hardly any event coverage; just staged things, press release reprints, bake sales, and walk-a-thons to raise awareness.
I knew Brad personally years ago, it makes me sad that he never got help with mental health issues.
It is a 2-4 year wait to see any professional.
We need more accessible services, or this kind of thing is going to keep happening.
The government should be funding important things like mental health support and addiction services.
Those are issues that affect everyone and that would be a great article to publish.
Where does our mayor stand on the solutions to these issues.
How are they helping the homeless or people afflicted with the disease of addiction?
I do appreciate the honest journalism, which is a gem to have in 2023.
Please continue all your great work.