Accused remanded on sexual assault charges
Published Wednesday November 11th, 2009
Justice: Esgenoopetitj First Nation man to return to court Friday for bail hearing
MIRAMICHI - A 29-year-old Esgenoopetitj First Nation man who was arrested at a home that was the focus of an extensive RCMP search last week was arraigned Tuesday on four charges related to a sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl.
Curtis Bonnell was ushered into court by three RCMP officers, hiding his face in his hat with his chin tucked tightly placed against a grey shirt before he sat down in the prisoner's box.
When provincial court Judge Geri Mahoney asked him to stand up to hear the charges, Bonnell said he couldn't because he was feeling sick.
He then refused to make eye contact with the judge as the charges, including sexual assault, unlawful confinement and resisting arrest, were read.
"Are you listening to me?" Mahoney asked repeatedly.
Bonnell eventually replied with several emphatic responses of "yeah."
Mahoney then advised Bonnell to consult with a lawyer before a bail hearing. Bonnell strongly objected and demanded to enter a plea immediately.
"I want to go through to the next step," Bonnell said.
After Mahoney repeated that Bonnell should consult legal counsel, he began to shout profanities at the judge. He was then removed from the courtroom.
Legal Aid lawyer Melanie MacAuley later said Bonnell refused to talk to her. Crown prosecutor Bannon Morrissy objected to Bonnell's release.
Bonnell was remanded into custody. He is to return Friday to Miramichi provincial court for a bail hearing.
Bonnell is the cousin of 16-year-old Hilary Bonnell, who has been missing from the Esgenoopetitj First Nation for more than two months, Hilary's mother has said.
Pamela Fillier has also said that Curtis Bonnell has been living at a First Nation home that police and forensic investigators were combing through for some time last week. The property belongs to Curtis's father Christopher Bonnell, she said.
As part of what the RCMP called a major investigation, police have also searched a property in Tabisuntac that they have said they belongs to the owner as the Esgenoopetitj home.
RCMP Insp. Roch Fortin said Tuesday that charges against Curtis Bonnell are not linked to the Hilary Bonnell investigation.
Fortin confirmed that undisclosed properties throughout the Burnt Church area are still being searched in that case.
"All the other searches we are doing are related to Hilary Bonnell at this time; we're working towards that, still working on the Hilary Bonnell case and the foremost thing for us is just to bring Hilary home," he said.
Esgenoopetitj First Nation Chief Wilbur Dedam said that the sexual assault charges have added to the unease in the Mi'kmaq community of 1,200 people.
"I think it's hard on this community, especially for the mother and the father (of Hilary Bonnell), and each day it gets harder for them," he said.
"The people are scared for their little ones."
Dedam added that each passing day that Hilary Bonnell is not found is equally as tough.
"Every day it takes to find her the feeling is a little bit worse," he said. "But we never give up hope and we always have felt that we will find her."
Anyone with information pertaining to the missing teen can report it anonymously to New Brunswick Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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Lets hope that he is feeling ill because guilt is eating away at him.
Accounts have been set up for donations to help them continue.
Every little bit will be a big help.
One is at the CIBC ,"THE HILARY BONNELL SEARCH AND RESCUE FUND",account #4643232, transit #00339.
&
Hilary Bonnell Funds, Bank of Montreal - Transit number: 0249 and the account number is 8110-432.
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4'ds store will also be accepting letters/cards along with donations to help Pam and Fred for their Financial needs . They also need our encouragement and prayers.
ATTEN: Pamela Augustine-Fillier
2994 Peters RD.
Burnt Church First Nation, NB
E9G 2E3
c/o lita Richardson
Anyone wishing to voice their argument against bail for Curtis Bonnell due to his 'history' can do so by contacting the Crown Prosecutor Bannon Morrissy at bannon.morrissy @gnb.ca
1) the sad sad news confirming that young Hillary Bonnell's dead body has been found (buried, no less);
2) the sad sad news that another young girl from the community has also been violently assulted since Hillary's disappearance;
3) that Hillary's own cousin, Curtis Bonnell, is a suspect in one or both of these cases.
It's unfortunate that nobody in the community was able to intervene to protect these girls from such terrible fates in the first place. It's unfortunate that nobody in the community was able to tip the police off early enough about the suspect to prevent the second young girl from being harmed.
The message for everyone is: WE NEED TO BE STRONGER AS COMMUNITIES and WE NEED TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THE GOOD PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. This includes looking out for our young people, looking out for each other, and working with our law enforcement agencies to keep such monsters a million miles away from our youth.
When provincial court Judge Geri Mahoney asked him to stand up to hear the charges, Bonnell said he couldn't because he was feeling sick."
I'm not typically a violent person. But, speaking as a father, a fellow New Brunswicker, and someone who's heard enough bad news to last a lifetime just from these two Burnt Church stories, if I had just 10 minutes with the suspect in a closed room I am fairly confident that he'd likely never have to worry about standing up again.