News

Blackout siops alcoholism

Taking action on his own to combat a drinking problem kept
Roderick Pottinger, 59, out of jail despite a fourth impaired driving
conviction Thursday.

Sidney resident Pottinger pleaded guilty in Sidney provincial
court before Judge Brian MacKenzie.

Crown counsel Stephen Fudge said police found Pottinger
unconscious behind the wheel of his vehicle at about 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 18. A witness discovered Pottinger in a parking lot on
Lochside Drive, removed the ignition keys and called police,
Fudge said.

Pottinger refused to give either breath or blood samples for
analysis, Fudge noted, adding that Pottinger was convicted of
impaired driving offences in 1975, 1979 and 1988.

Pottinger told the court he could not recall the evening and was
so shocked by the black-out that he immediately stopped drinking
and sought alcohol counselling.

He has not had anything to drink since that evening, overcoming
an alcohol abuse problem which started when he was 15, Pottinger
explained.

Judge MacKenzie said Pottinger was obviously very intoxicated
that evening and said it was fortunate the vehicle was parked.
Since crown counsel did not request the usual jail sentence and
Pottinger is no longer drinking, MacKenzie said he did not need to
sent the man to jail.

However he fined Pottinger $1,200 and suspended the man’s
driver’s licence for three years.

Driver sideswiped cop car

Sideswiping a police car led to an impaired driving charge for
Randle Cecil Mathews, 23, following a party April 6.

Mathews, of Sidney, pleaded guilty in Sidney provincial court
Thursday before Judge Brian MacKenzie.

Crown counsel Stephen Fudge said police were investigating a
party complaint at about 2:30 a.m. when the police car was
sideswiped by a truck driven by Mathews.

Mathews, apparently unaware of the accident, continued driving
until pulled over by police. He had two breathalyzer readings of .14
per cent.

Fudge noted Mathews had no previous record.

Judge MacKenzie fined Mathews $300 and suspended his
driver’s licence for a year.

Impaired driver caught speeding

Being pulled over for speeding by Central Saanich police at 2
a.m. May 19 led to an impaired driving charge against Gordon
O’Hara, 21, of Sidney, crown counsel Stephen Fudge explained in
Sidney provincial court Thursday.

Fudge said O’ Hara was clocked at 155 kmh southbound on the
Pat Bay Highway just south of Island View Road. There were other
passengers in the car, Fudge noted. O’Hara had breathalyzer
readings of .15 and .14 per cent.

O’Hara pleaded guilty to the charge. Judge Brian MacKenzie
fined O’Hara $400 and suspended his licence for one year.

Youth sentenced for thefts from car

One of a group of youths involved in a series of thefts from
parked cars in Saanichton March 1 pleaded guilty in Sidney
provincial court Thursday.

Crown counsel Stephen Fudge said the 16-year-old Saanichton
youth was one of four young people who took various items from
unlocked cars while walking through Saanichton between 8:30 and
9 p.m. The items, including two cellular telephones, a tape deck
and cassette tapes, were all recovered, Fudge said.

A witness spotted one of the thefts and police were called, Fudge
said.

Judge Brian MacKenzie placed the youth on probation for five
months and ordered the youth to write letters of apology to the car
owners and to do 35 hours community service work.

x
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Local Conservatives disband | COMPUTER PHOBIA?

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Local Progressive Conservative Saanich South association
organizations in Saanich North
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of support from the provincial and
federal organizations. <
Outgoing president of Saanich ys af
North and the Islands Howie G NAN
Norquay said he was tired of the Z »
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Sidney resident Norquay said =
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The provincial association has
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He felt the provincial party suf- With te

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