Pubdate: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 Source: Chronicle Herald (CN NS) Copyright: 2009 The Halifax Herald Limited Contact: http://thechronicleherald.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/180 Author: Steve Bruce Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.) SOMBRE DAY AT COURTHOUSE Colleagues Struggle To Cope As Deputy Makes Court Appearance On Drug Charges A pall hung over the Dartmouth courthouse Tuesday as a sheriff's deputy who works in the building appeared before a judge on 12 charges of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. "It's a horrible day. There's nothing good about it," said a colleague of Tyrone Cornell David, 40, who was arrested outside the courthouse last Friday morning after he allegedly was observed accepting drugs from a young woman at a nearby strip mall. Mr. David spent the Thanksgiving weekend in protective custody at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth. He arrived at provincial court Tuesday morning in the back of a sheriff's van, wearing leg shackles and handcuffs. He concealed his face from media cameras with the hood of his jacket as he got out of the van. Six hours later, Mr. David's fellow sheriff's deputies led him upstairs into a courtroom, where the Crown agreed to his release on a $50,000 recognizance secured by property belonging to his father, Ronald David of North Preston. Tyrone David, who's on paid administrative leave from his job pending the outcome of the charges, sat with his elbows on his knees and his head bowed as federal Crown attorney Susan Bour read out a list of conditions attached to his bail. He must reside at an address on St. Margarets Bay Road in Lakeside, remain in Nova Scotia at all times and surrender his passport to Halifax Regional Police. He can't communicate with anyone who has a criminal record or is behind bars, and he's prohibited from having any contact with his co-accused, Kathleen Mary Keirans, girlfriend of well-known crime figure Jimmy Melvin Jr. Mr. Melvin is in the Dartmouth jail on drug and weapons charges. Mr. David is not to possess or use drugs and can't have weapons, a cellphone or a pager. He must follow a nightly curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., unless he's working or dealing with a medical emergency, and he has to check in with police by telephone once a week. "Thank you, Your Honour," Mr. David said to Associate Chief Judge Brian Gibson as he was escorted back to the holding cells until his paperwork could be processed. He had nothing to say to reporters as he walked out of the building at about 4 p.m. and climbed into a waiting car. He returns to court Nov. 25 to enter pleas to the charges. Mr. David was married just over two weeks ago and was planning to go on his honeymoon soon. Now he's accused of trying to smuggle drugs into the provincial jail system. Police allege they caught him with cocaine, marijuana, hashish, ecstasy, morphine, Dilaudid, hydromorphone, Valium and amphetamines. Ms. Keirans, 22, of Lockview Road in Fall River, is charged with 12 counts of trafficking involving the same drugs. The Crown and defence couldn't agree Tuesday on conditions for her release, so she was remanded until a bail hearing Friday. Associate Chief Judge Gibson said an outside judge will have to be brought in to deal with Mr. David's case. Ms. Bour, who regularly prosecutes drug cases at the Dartmouth courthouse, said it has yet to be determined whether she will be able to remain on the file. "That will be discussed fully when I return to the office," she said outside court. She admitted the atmosphere in the courtroom Tuesday was sombre. "It's a serious matter," she said of the charges against Mr. David. "I have been in court many times when he's been working as a sheriff." Sheriff's deputies were under orders not to talk to Mr. David while he was in their custody. Mr. David's father told The Chronicle Herald he didn't wish to say much about his son's legal troubles. "I have to hear from my son," he said. "There are always two sides to every story. Everyone is presumed innocent until they're proven guilty." A police spokeswoman said Friday that officers didn't randomly stumble across the alleged drug deal. "This investigation occurred over a series of days," Theresa Rath said. "We were acting on information that we had received." Ms. Rath wouldn't reveal what makes police think the drugs were headed to the provincial jail. "We can't get into why we think that, but suffice it to say that based on the evidence that was seized, we believe that the drugs were destined for transportation into the corrections system. Our investigation will continue (looking) as to where (the drugs) may have been destined and to whom." She said police haven't received information to suggest that any other sheriff's deputies were involved. Justice Minister Ross Landry said the department works hard to ensure no one smuggles drugs to inmates. "We're dealing with a population that has all day and all night to sit and contemplate how they get illicit substances into the institution," Mr. Landry said Tuesday at Province House. "In this case, someone was allegedly bringing a substance into the institution, they have been apprehended, and I believe that, to this point, that that behaviour's stopped." Aside from the police investigation, Justice Department officials are conducting their own probe. Mr. Landry said there's no deadline for his department's investigation but it will be done in a timely manner. With David Jackson, provincial reporter - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D