HALIFAX - The status of a Nova Scotia RCMP officer who was acquitted of having care or control of her vehicle while impaired by alcohol is under review.
Const. Catherine Mansley is still on the payroll, but she is doing administrative duties and not out in a patrol car.
Mansley's placement with the force "will be reviewed by senior management in H Division in order to determine her future status," Cpl. M.J. DeLuco, a spokeswoman for the provincial force said Saturday.
Mansley went on trial in provincial court last week on a charge of having care of her vehicle while her blood alcohol readings were more than twice the legal limit of .08.
Another RCMP officer found her sitting in the driver's seat of her personal vehicle early on the morning of Jan. 31, 2009.
She was in the parking lot of a popular walking area just outside Liverpool called Pine Grove Park where she planned to spend the night after her former boyfriend kicked her out of his home.
Provincial court Judge Jim Burrill ruled Friday that Mansley was impaired and had open liquor in the vehicle, but he acquitted her saying he was convinced she did not intend to drive her car that night.
He also said there was no evidence that Mansley drove the car to the park from the neighbour's home where she sought refuge after the argument with her former boyfriend - a distance of about 500 metres.
In acquitting her, the judge noted that her keys were not in the ignition, there was little chance the car could have accidentally moved because the emergency brake was on and there was also little chance Mansley would have changed her mind and driven away.
Status of N.S. Mountie acquitted of liquor-related driving charge under review
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Published on
February 15, 2010
- Published on February 24, 2010
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The Canadian Press ~ The News
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Comments
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- Dennis
- - February 25, 2010 at 00:45:32
The real truth is that people likely do get off because there is no real evidence of intent to drive. Most of those never make the news.
This only made the news because it was a mountie... -
- Allison
- - February 25, 2010 at 00:45:21
I can't believe this story is true.Every case of care and control needs to be withdrawn and everyone ever charged with that offence needs their record cleared.How can anyone respect a justice system that does not treat everyone equal.I would hope that any lawyer that see's this will use this precedent to help their clients escape justice also.Don't get me wrong i believe care and control is a bs charge anyway,With that being said it still needs to be applied to everyone equally or it should be removed from the code.
Shakes head in disgust at our justice system......
