Woman denies she harassed legal aid lawyer
Donna M. Collins, 60, of Upper Loch Lomond, will stand trial next year on the charge and will seek to retain legal counsel in the meantime
A Saint John-area woman accused of harassing a legal aid lawyer based in Fredericton denied the allegation Wednesday and will go to trial in 10 months’ time.
Donna M. Collins, 60, of Route 820 in Upper Loch Lomond, pleaded not guilty in Fredericton provincial court Wednesday to a charge of criminal harassment.
The charge alleges she harassed Sophie Noel, a family court lawyer with the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission in Fredericton, by repeatedly communicating with her between Jan. 1, 2017, and Sept. 22, 2022, causing Noel to fear for her safety.
Noel previously worked as legal counsel for the Nurses Association of New Brunswick (NANB) during the relevant timeframe, and Collins, a former registered nurse, has had a turbulent history with the association.
In a special statement issued several years ago, the association noted that while Collins had been listed as a registered nurse with the association from 2000-12 and as a nurse practitioner in 2012-13, her registration expired at the end of 2013.
That meant she was no longer allowed to practise nursing or represent herself as a registered nurse or nurse practitioner.
“Following a disciplinary hearing on Nov. 22, 2017, Ms. Collins was reprimanded by the discipline committee and issued a fine for improper use of actual and fictitious nursing designations such as RN, NP, ‘RN+’ and ‘DNP,’ while not being a registered member of NANB,” the organization states on its website.
In a four-page public memorandum about Collins, the NANB states it has received several inquiries and complaints about the former member.
Collins operates a business called Crystal Clear Transitional Care Inc., which is described on its website as “an advanced clinical practice research firm.”
The association says that through Crystal Clear, Collins has touting her former designations and distributing information in that capacity “to numerous parties with whom NANB has relationships, including provincial, national and international health organizations; media; Canadian nurse regulators; medical, pharmacy and other professional associations; universities; government officials and health departments; and other organizations when not registered and not entitled to use such designations.”
During her last court appearance April 19, court heard the defendant was having trouble retaining legal counsel, but on Wednesday, her spouse, Saint John personal-injury and insurance lawyer Tim Collins, appeared with her.
He noted the accused will be retaining other counsel for the trial, which Judge Natalie LeBlanc scheduled for March 12.
You can contact Don MacPherson at ftonindependent@gmail.com.