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SAINT JOHN - Enters guilty pleas to 10 of 11 charges

A 20-year-old member of the so-called West Side Mafia street gang changed his pleas to guilty Monday to all but one of 11 charges laid against him on June 9 in provincial court, including one each of possession of cannabis marijuana and ecstasy. Provincial court Judge Andrew LeMesurier adjourned sentencing of Kyle Maxwell of Ludlow Street on the 10 charges to which he pleaded guilty until Aug. 20. The judge also scheduled Maxwell's trial on an April 16 charge of mischief under $5,000, to which he maintained his earlier not guilty plea, for the same date. Maxwell was one of several adults and youths, aged 14 to 20, who were charged with a variety of offences following a month-long city police sweep known was Operation Carleton.

Illegal smokes cost him plenty

SAINT JOHN - A 40-year-old Guilford Street man caught with seven packages of contraband tobacco, totalling 200 in all, will pay nearly $1,500 after pleading guilty Monday to contravening the Tobacco Act of New Brunswick. Shawn David Smith was fined the minimum of $1,000 and ordered, under a complicated formula set down in the act, to pay an extra penalty of $493.50 based on so much per cigarette. The cigarettes were found in Smith's knapsack during his arrest for a separate matter on May 30. Smith asked for a publication ban on the matter, but provincial court Judge Andrew LeMesurier told him he no power to do so since the matter was being dispensed of in open court. While granting a Crown request that the cigarettes be forfeited, the judge gave the accused until Oct. 23 to pay up. "These are expensive cigarettes, sir," LeMesurier told Smith. "So, no more of that."

Trafficking trial set for July 23

SAINT JOHN - Provincial court Judge Andrew LeMesurier ordered Maurice Joseph Bourdage, 51, of Main Street North, to stand trial at 1:30 p.m. on July 23 after he pleaded not guilty on Monday to a charge of possession of cocaine for the purposes of trafficking on Jan. 8. He will also be tried on a second charge of obstructing a peace officer on the same date, to which he also entered a not guilty plea.

Car troubles nets her 3 more days

SAINT JOHN - A woman sentenced to serve her 45-day jail sentence on weekends told provincial court on Monday that the reason she showed up late last Saturday was because her car broke down, forcing her to hitchhike. Jody Elizabeth Sutton, 35, of Hunter's Homes, Highway 112, was given three days jail time consecutive to any time she was already serving. The court heard that Dennison, who was due at the jail by 8 a.m. on Saturday, called at 7:23 a.m. to say she would be late, but never showed up until 11:43 a.m. In the meantime, the police were called in to look for her.