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A Lunenburg Progress Enterprise, Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Steak knife threat,
assault result
in conditional sentence
By KEITH CORCORAN less phone escalated to a scene that saw
kcorcoran@southshorenow.ca the man push his wife against a wall, put
her in a headlock and threaten her with a
BRIDGEWATER — A year of house knife, provincial court heard.
arrest is part of a conditional sentence Mr. Scovil suggested, while referring
handed to a Lunenburg County man who to a pre-sentence report, that drinking
pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife and seems to be the root of the problem for
threatening her with a steak knife. Mr. Rioux.
Part of the conditional sentence order “The victim describes the accused as
directs James Lenus Rioux, 29, to keep the an excellent individual when sober but
peace and be of good behaviour, refrain that alcohol is the … negative factor in the
from alcohol and non-prescription drugs
relationship,” Mr. Scovil said.
and not possess weapons or explosive
Court heard that Mr. Rioux has ap-
substances.
peared remorseful, learned from the cir-
ROBERT HIRTLE PHOTO Anger management and substance
cumstances, is attending addiction ser-
Grade 7 students Kelsie Mosher, left, and Rachel Kendall are the driving force behind abuse counselling and participation in a
spousal violence prevention program is vices and is dealing with a therapist in
Centre Consolidated School’s new anti-bullying campaign.
part of the sentence. reference to anger management issues.
Mr. Rioux will also be on a year’s proba- Mr. Rioux’s lawyer, Barry Whynot, said
Think pink tion following the house arrest. alcohol has been his client’s “nemesis”
The charges, to which Mr. Rioux pre- but noted his client hasn’t consumed al-
viously entered guilty pleas, came as a cohol since the January incident and has
result of a violent confrontation in Janu- committed to never drinking again.
Students develop T-shirt ary between a husband and wife living in
the Italy Cross area, Crown attorney Paul
Mr. Rioux now lives on Highway 208 in
Nineveh without his wife.
campaign to fight bullying Scovil said.
The husband had been drinking and
The sentence imposed was a joint rec-
ommendation of Crown and defence at-
an argument between the two over a cord- torneys.
By ROBERT HIRTLE tance for the fundraising aspect of the
rhirtle@southshorenow.ca initiative will also receive their own
pink T-shirt, as will members of the
CENTRE — Bullying, while often as-
sociated with physical abuse, can take
many forms.
popular local rock group Air Traffic
Control, who are tentatively scheduled
to perform at the school May 30 in sup-
Dayspring teen
placed on house arrest
That’s something that Kelsie Mosher port of the campaign.
and Rachel Kendall are fully aware of, Students from other area schools will
having experienced first-hand the un- be invited to the performance, and, in
pleasantness of being intimidated by lieu of wearing pink T-shirts, will be
some of their peers at school. given pink ribbons, bearing the slogan By KEITH CORCORAN for a year following the eight-month con-
“We’ve both been bullied and we saw and logo, to wear as a display of encour- kcorcoran@southshorenow.ca ditional sentence order.
other people being bullied, so we wanted agement for the initiative. Mr. Ballard’s lawyer, Bob Chipman, in-
to do something about it,” Kelsie recalls. “And anyone else that would like a BRIDGEWATER — A Dayspring teen dicated to the court that his client has ad-
“We thought it was going too far and we shirt can buy one for $10,” Rachel adds. has been given a conditional sentence mitted a problem with drugs and alcohol
wanted to stop it.” Students are also working out the order, which includes two months of and is working on correcting the issues of
To that end, the two Grade 7 students logistics of staging an en masse march house arrest, in connection to charges substance abuse. He’s also made inroads
at Centre Consolidated School came through the Town of Lunenburg some- of uttering threats, assaulting a peace with his education, the court heard.
up with the idea of starting an anti- time in late May or early June, decked officer, resisting arrest and breaching an The resisting arrest and assaulting a
bullying campaign, a program which out in their pink shirts, to draw atten- undertaking.
peace officer charge is in relation to a
would bring the issue to the attention tion to the bullying issue. After the house arrest is finished, Josh-
February 2008 incident in Queens County
of everyone who attends the facility, “And we’ll have one day every month ua Frederick Ballard, 19, of Oakhill Road,
that saw an unco-operative man shove a
including those responsible for the bul- that is pink T-shirt day and everyone will will be on the conditional sentence order
lying. for another six months. He previously Mountie, run away and attempt to hide.
wear their pink T-shirt,” Kelsie says.
“We got sponsors, and we raised Both girls say they are more than pleaded guilty to three charges. The other two offences came in connec-
enough money so that every student in happy with the support they have re- Attached conditions include keeping tion to a December 2007 occurrence where
the whole school will get an anti-bul- ceived for their efforts, not only from the peace, being of good behaviour, getting a man uttered threats to a woman. On a
lying T-shirt,” Kelsie says. “We had a school officials and parents, but from substance and mental health counselling, later date, the man later showed up in the
contest to see who can design the best their fellow students who offered assis- having no contact with two individuals Bridgewater parking lot of the restaurant
logo and slogan, with the winning entry tance by serving on their anti-bullying and staying away from their residences where the woman is employed, which he
being placed on the shirts.” committee. and also consuming no alcohol or non- wasn’t supposed to do, and resulted in a
That honour went to the Primary They’ve also noticed a sharp decline prescription drugs. breach charge, said Crown attorney Paul
class at the school, who won movie pass- in the number of bullying incidents di- Mr. Ballard will also be on probation Scovil.
es and other prizes for their catchphrase rected towards them since the campaign
“The more friends, the more fun. Don’t began two months ago.
be a bully, our feelings are one.” “Everything’s turned out well,” Kel-
A total of $2,196 was raised in sup-
port of the initiative, through the sale
of Avon products and the support of
sie says.
Principal Glen Matthews says what
makes the anti-bullying campaign spe-
Conquerall Bank man
individuals and businesses who donated
funds.
“And our corporate sponsor was As-
cial is that it is student led.
“It’s students helping students be bet-
ter students,” he explains. “They’re tak-
pleads guilty to weapon,
sante [Financial Management],” Kelsie
explains. “We didn’t have enough money
raised for the T-shirts and they paid the
ing on responsibility beyond their age,
and when you look at the whole package,
they’re doing something to make not
drug charges
rest.” only the school better, but the whole By KEITH CORCORAN hand so that the blade protrudes from the
Parents who volunteered their assis- community better.” kcorcoran@southshorenow.ca front of one’s fist.
The search was done the same day
BRIDGEWATER — A jail term and RCMP were told Mr. Conrad, 29, was taken
fines were handed to a Conquerall Bank into custody by the Edmunston, New
Two family physicians recruited man after he entered guilty pleas last
week to a series of charges.
Brunswick, drug section where a vehicle
search there resulted in a find of hash and
A judge imposed fines totalling $500 marijuana.
By PAULA LEVY It is hoped the second physician will and a jail sentence comprised of 30 days The other guilty pleas were in relation
plevy@southshorenow.ca set up a family practice in Bridgewater. on Corey Edwin Conrad, who pleaded to a December 2007 occurrence where
“We’re quite confident that we’ve re- guilty in provincial court to charges in- phone calls were made and voice mail
COUNTY — Two family doctors will cruited a physician for Bridgewater but cluding marijuana possession, prohibited messages were left at a Rhodes Corner
be coming to Lunenburg County this there are still some details that have to weapon possession and breaching a recog- residence that were considered to be of a
summer. be worked out,” she said. nizance. threatening nature.
South Shore Health spokeswoman Although the two physicians will Two charges stemmed from a June 2007 “Mr. Conrad accepts having committed
Theresa Hawkesworth said one family alleviate some of the problems faced police search of a home at 5634 Highway the offences. He regrets they occurred
physician will be working with Dr. Cathy by Lunenburg County patients seeking 331 in Petite Riviere which yielded a find …,” said Barry Whynot, Mr. Conrad’s at-
Kelly in her Lunenburg office. She said a family doctor, Ms Hawkesworth of about two dozen grams of marijuana, torney.
following the summer the physician will said the area is still faced with doc- marijuana seeds, a push knife and cash. Mr. Conrad has until December 10 to
decide whether he will remain in the tor shortages. Bridgewater, she said, is The on-line resource Wikipedia de- pay the fines.
clinic with Dr. Kelly or set up his own the area of greatest need for family doc- scribes a push knife as a short knife with The push knife was forfeited to the
practice. tors. a “T” handle designed to be grasped in the Crown.
