St. Thomas Freedom Rally Organizer Convicted under the Reopening of Ontario Act.
On November 14, 2020, more than 250 people gathered in St. Thomas at the Memorial Arena parking lot and marched to Veterans Memorial Garden to voice their displeasure with COVID-19 protocols. Under the rules of the Reopening Ontario Act, 2020, the maximum number of people allowed to gather for an outdoor event could not exceed 25 people on that date.
The trial took place at the Ontario Provincial Offences Courthouse and December 1, 2022 and a conviction was registered on January 5, 2023. 51-year old Lamont Daigle was found guilty of failing to comply with a continued section 7.0.2 order as per Ontario Regulation 364/20, of the Reopening Ontario Act, 2020, section 10.1(1). Daigle received a fined $20,000 plus a surcharge of $5,000.
A second local organizer still faces charges before the courts.
Link to London CTV news video coverage dated 14 Nov 2022 attached below:
https://london.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2077263
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Break and Enter
Sometime overnight on Wednesday, two outbuildings of a Talbot St business were entered. The suspect(s) damaged the lock and door of the buildings to gain entry. Fortunately there was little of value inside the outbuildings at the time of the incident and it is not believed any property was taken. If you have any information about this incident please contact STPS at 519-631-1224 or www.stthomas-elgincrimestoppers.ca Refer to case #ST23000229.
Warrant Arrest
On Thursday morning members of the STPS court staff attended the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre to execute two first instance warrants on a 41 year old male. The male is charged with Sexual Assault and three counts of Fail to Comply with Release Order. He will appear in court from the detention centre. ^0231
Warrant Arrest
On Thursday afternoon members of the STPS Community Response Unit observed a 37 year old St. Thomas female in the downtown core. The officers recognized this female and knew there to be a warrant out for her arrest. The female was arrested on the strength of two bench warrants and released at the scene with a future court date. ^0236
Fail to Comply
On Thursday morning an officer was flagged down by a local female reporting that a 78 year old male was breaching a non-communication condition of a court order. The officer later located the male and witnessed him breaching another condition of the court order (an address not to attend). The male was arrested without incident and transported to the Colin McGregor Building where he was processed and later released with a future court date. The male is charged with four counts of Fail to Comply with Court Order. ^0246
Warrant Arrest
On Thursday afternoon officers on general patrol observed a 41 year old male in the downtown core. The officers recognized this male and knew there to be a warrant out for his arrest. The male was arrested on the strength of two warrants and transported to the Colin McGregor Building where he was later released with a future court date. ^0247
