Paul sentenced to five and a half months in jail

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Twenty-one-year-old Tobique First Nation resident Evan Paul, who threatened to shoot police officers and their families during a March 27 incident, was sentenced to five and a half months in provincial jail when he appeared for sentencing before Grand Falls provincial court judge Jacques Desjardins on Tuesday, April 22.

Paul sat in the prisoner's bench and stared ahead while Crown prosecutor Charles Couturier detailed the events which led to charges being laid against the young man by the RCMP following the March 27th incident at Tobique First Nation.

During an earlier court appearance, Paul pleaded guilty to assaulting RCMP Constable Stéphane Robichaud on March 27; uttering a threat to Cst. Robichaud and Cpl. Steve Crete to cause their death on March 27; committing two breaches of his probation by failing to abstain from consuming and/or possessing any alcoholic beverages and non prescribed drugs on March 27 and failing to observe a curfew of 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Nov. 11 and Sept. 27. He had been remanded into custody until his sentencing last week.

At the start of the proceedings, Paul asked the court to undergo a psychiatric assessment at the Restigouche Centre in Campbellton, to determine his fitness to stand trial and his criminal responsibility.

"He (Paul) tells me that at the time of the offence and while he has been in remand, he hears voices," stated Legal Aid lawyer Louis Picard.

"It's funny that until April 7, when you met with the probation officer for the preparation of your pre-sentence report, you had no problems with voices," stated Judge Jacques Desjardins. "You never mentioned it then to the probation officer."

"I totally disagree with the pre-sentence report," Paul told the court. "She asked me questions and I answered them."

However, Paul then asked for a few minutes to again consult with Picard, which the judge granted. When both Paul and Picard returned to the courtroom, the Legal Aid lawyer told the court that Paul wanted to withdraw his request and proceed with his sentencing.

"On Sept. 25, the RCMP received a call that Evan Paul had broken into a house. One of the residents heard a thump between 3 and 4 a.m. and saw Paul in the hallway. He had a hoodie up and wore a bandana across his mouth. The resident went to put on a sweater and when she returned she saw that he was crawling out of the same window through which he had entered. He was on probation at the time and broke his curfew," stated Crown prosecutor Charles Couturier. "He broke his curfew again on Nov. 11 and he was impaired."

"On March 27, around 10 p.m., the RCMP received a call at 10 p.m. that Paul was in the middle of the street and was carrying a large axe in one hand and a bottle in the other. When police arrived at the scene, they could not locate him. They attended a residence where a large axe was outside by the door. They made attempts to speak with the occupants but no one answered. Around 10:14 p.m., they received a call from the home's resident that an unwanted individual (Paul) was at the residence. He showed signs of impairment. When police tried to arrest him, he resisted. He tried to pull away from them and had to be forcibly removed and placed in the patrol car. He spat on Cst. Robichaud. He was placed in another patrol car which had a protection shield and an officer sat with him to prevent Paul from injuring himself."

"Paul made death threats to the officers, by stating ‘You're dead. I'm going to shoot you in the head with my Glock'. He also threatened to kill both the officers' families. He was quite violent. He was placed in the cell."

"His pre-sentence report is negative. He shows no remorse and is defiant with court orders and police. He is not willing to change his lifestyle which includes drinking and smoking marijuana," Couturier told the court. "He believes he is above the law and has the impression that there are not consequences for his actions. He is at a high risk to reoffend. We recommend 12 to 18 months in jail. We are up to this point," he added.

"He does not agree with parts of his pre-sentence report. He has been on his own since the age of 12," stated Legal Aid defence lawyer Louis Picard. "This is not his first time in court. He has pleaded guilty to the charges. He seems to understand the seriousness of the offences. He has various issues which need to be addressed. Most of the offences were alcohol-related. He is young and although his pre-sentence report is negative, that does not mean that he can't be rehabilitated."

"I do show remorse to Cst. Robichaud and Cpl. Crete. I admit to having an alcohol problem. I am young. I have chances to rehabilitate myself and turn my life around. I apologize for breaching my probation orders and once released, I will try to complete my probation without any further problems," Paul told the court.

"At the age of 12, you were given free rein, to do as you please. You're still doing that. How will you control yourself?" asked Judge Desjardins.

"If I get my drug and alcohol problems taken care of, that will straighten me out," Paul answered. "I would like to get a job but there is no work in the area. I have limited chances for training. I do not wish to do 12 months. I ask you to consider very carefully the fact that I am an aboriginal offender."

"Whatever he does affects the community at large. He should respect probation orders. At 12, he was left to come and go as much as he pleases. Today, he shows a willingness to observe probation orders which he did not at the time of the offences. Alcohol is a problem and he has no self-discipline," stated Judge Desjardins.