In the courts

SUMMERSIDE - A Summerside woman was fined more than $40,000 after pleading guilty in Provincial Court to possessing contraband cigarettes.
Estelle Andrea Chaisson, 33, was charged under the Excise Act and the Province's Tobacco Tax Act.
Acting on a tip, police obtained a warrant to search Chaisson's city home on July 30. When they arrived, Chaisson said, "Come on in. You want me to show you where they are?"
Three cases - a total of 30,960 illegal cigarettes - were seized.
Chaisson had no previous record.
The provincial Crown recommended the minimum fine of $200 be imposed on the provincial Tobacco Tax Act charge in addition to a fine five times the tax payable on each illegal cigarette, which amounted to $34,752.60.
The federal Crown recommended the minimum fine of $5,263.20 be imposed on the Excise Act charge.
Judge Jeff Lantz agreed.
"We're dealing with a fairly large quantity of cigarettes," he said when handing down the $40,215.80 in fines. "It may sound like a silly question, but do you need time to pay those?"
Lantz agreed with Chaisson's request for three years to pay the amounts.
She was also ordered to pay a $25 victim surcharge.

Man gets jail time, suspended licence
SUMMERSIDE - A West Prince man was sentenced in Summerside Provincial Court to seven days behind bars for his second impaired driving conviction.
On June 13, just before 10 p.m., police stopped John Andrew Jones, 60, near Miminegash. His breath samples were double the legal limit. He was jailed and released at 3 a.m.
Jones had a previous impaired driving conviction dating back to 1996.
In addition to time behind bars, Jones was fined $1,300 and ordered to pay a $195 victim surcharge.
He was suspended from driving for 18 months.

Woman pleads guilty to breaching probation
SUMMERSIDE - A Summerside woman received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty in Provincial Court to two charges of breaching probation.
Jessie Ann Horton, 44, was placed on probation for three years in May 22 after pleading to a break and enter and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
Terms of probation included staying away from the male victim and to report regularly to her probation officer.
After being released from hospital in June, Horton moved from Charlottetown to O'Leary but failed to report her change of address to her probation officer. She also didn't arrange regular meetings with her probation officer.
Horton also called the male victim she had been prohibited from contacting.
She told the court she called the man to tell him he was being threatened.
Horton had a previous breach of probation charge on her record, for which she was got three days in jail.
But despite the Crown's request for a short period behind bars, Judge Jeff Lantz suspended the passing of sentence and placed Horton on probation for 12 months.
"If you're back before the court for another breach you'll be looking at more than three days," said Lantz.
Horton was also ordered to perform 60 hours of community service work.

Man stole Armor All for dad's Harley
SUMMERSIDE - A Summerside man will spend a few extra days behind bars for stealing double-sided tape and Armor All from a city department store.
Walter Gregory Arsenault, 29, pleaded guilty in Summerside Provincial Court Thursday to the theft and a charge of failing to show up in court.
The theft occurred in the spring.
Arsenault was observed by store security placing an item under his sweater. He then approached a worker, asking for double-sided tape. When the employee went to the item Arsenault grabbed the tape from the shelf, removed it from its packaging, put it in his pocket and then left the store.
Security personnel stopped him outside the store and called police.
When asked why he had taken the items, Arsenault said he took the Armor All to clean his father's new Harley.
The Armor All was recovered resalable. The tape, worth almost $7, was not.
Arsenault had a record, which included a number of theft convictions.
He had been issued a summons to appear in court on the charge in June but failed to do so.
Arsenault was also sentenced in Provincial Court in Charlottetown Wednesday to 30 days behind bars on a charge of escaping police custody.
Defence attorney Trish Cheverie said if the two charges had been dealt with on Wednesday, Arsenault likely would not have received much additional time in jail.
Judge Jeff Lantz agreed and sentenced Arsenault to four more days behind bars.
He was also ordered to pay $50 in victim surcharges, restitution for the stolen tape and was placed on probation for 12 months, terms of which included staying away from the victimized store.