A 57-year-old man pleaded guilty to a host of driving charges this week that began with the observations of a private investigator.
Albert Dennis Harpe pleaded guilty to one count of refusing to provide a breath sample and one count of breaching his bail conditions, while also admitting to driving while he was suspended.
RCMP got a call around 4 p.m. on June 16 from an investigator who had been dealing with Harpe and noticed the odour of alcohol before Harpe got in his car and drove away.
He followed Harpe and contacted the RCMP. Officers caught up with Harpe and pulled him over. After making their own observations, they demanded a roadside breath test, which Harpe refused.
Officer also discovered Harpe’s licence was suspended at the time, although not because of previous driving problems.
Harpe was scheduled to go to trial Monday, but opted to plead guilty instead. He also pleaded guilty to a breach of his bail conditions, for which he was charged the day before his guilty plea.
Officers were called out to a local liquor store after receiving a report of an intoxicated man who was suffering some kind of medical problem. An ambulance was on scene when the police arrived, but the paramedics cleared him medically.
Harpe was on bail with a condition to abstain from alcohol and was clearly intoxicated.
Harpe was held in custody overnight on Sunday and was given a one-day jail sentence for breaching his bail conditions. He was given a $1,200 fine for refusing to provide a breath sample and a $400 fine for driving while suspended, as well as a yearlong driving ban.
A 21-year-old man who caught the attention of police by screaming at traffic and kicking a bus stop will dish out a few hundred dollars.
Clayton Upright pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with his bail conditions and was handed a $500 fine.
Police were called about Upright and a couple of other young people who were kicking a bus shelter and yelling at traffic on Sept 26, shortly before midnight.
When police arrived they found Upright was very intoxicated and discovered he was on bail at the time with a condition that he not possess a cellphone.
Upright had his girlfriend’s phone in his pocket when police searched him, a breach of those conditions.
Upright is facing four other charges related to the same incident, but did not plead guilty to them. He has set a trial date for the fall.
