June 23, 2008

Kingston developer faces 45 days in jail

Man behind stalled Deseronto project pleads guilty to alcohol-related charges

The first day of Shawn Brant's trial into criminal charges stemming from an April native protest wasn't without a strange twist.

Shortly before the case against the well-known native activist was to be heard in Napanee court, a man considered by many to be the catalyst of the outbreak of protests in Deseronto in April pleaded guilty to an alcohol-related driving charge.

Kingston resident Timothy Letch, who in November 2006 announced his intentions to build a multi-million dollar waterfront community in Deseronto, pleaded guilty to refusing to provide a breath sample and driving while disqualified.

The charges stemmed from an incident on Aug. 20 last year when provincial police on patrol in Loyalist Township received a complaint regarding a motorist "drinking a beer while driving" along Highway 33.

An officer located a vehicle matching the description heading west on the thoroughfare near Collins Bay.

Crown prosecutor Richard Floyd said the vehicle "took a long time to stop," but eventually pulled into a service station.

Letch, who was behind the wheel, "smelled of alcohol" and the officer noticed a case of beer in the rear seat of his car, Floyd said.

Letch refused to provide a breath sample and a further investigation revealed a lengthy criminal record and the fact he had three current orders to abstain from driving.

In court Monday, Letch pleaded guilty to both charges and is expected to be sentenced to 45 days in custody -- which will be served on weekends -- when he returns to Napanee court in September. He was also ordered to surrender his licence for a three-year period.

Letch's announcement in late 2006 that he was going to build a series of waterfront homes in Deseronto was met with a number of native protests because the land in question is on the Culbertson Land Tract, part of a disputed native land claim.

In the months following, he issued a number of public statements.

For instance, Letch told The Intelligencer he retained "his good friend" and well-known Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby to represent his interests when dealing with the federal government. When contacted, however, Ruby denied knowing Letch, let alone having been retained by him as a legal representative.

In the past year, Letch also stated his company would accept a monetary payout from the federal government for the purchase of the land.

To date, no development has been pursued and there has there been no attempt to file such proceedings with Deseronto's building department.

– Belleville Intelligencer

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