Former Mountie on trial in Moncton for impaired driving
Arresting officer says Ronald Cleveland suggested he ‘pretend that you never found me‘
Former RCMP sergeant Ronald Cleveland is on trial in Moncton on a charge of impaired driving dating back to an incident in the early hours of March 21, 2014.
Cleveland was released from the RCMP on a medical discharge earlier this year.
Testifying Thursday, Const. Joel Arsenault described how uncomfortable he was arresting a superior officer.
"Up until June 4, that was the worst day of my career," Arsenault said, referring to the day a few months later when three Codiac RCMP officers would be shot and killed by a lone gunman.
Arsenault testified the RCMP had received a call about a possible drunk driver. The caller gave a licence plate number that was traced back to Cleveland. Arsenault said he recognized his fellow RCMP member's name.
Prosecuting attorney Claude Hache asked Arsenault how well he knew Cleveland before the arrest. The officer said he's worked on a number of cases with Cleveland since he began his career at Codiac in 2010. He said he respected Cleveland but had no relationship with him outside of work.
Arsenault said he followed his normal procedure by going to the home of the suspect. He said he could tell by untouched snow in Cleveland's driveway that he hadn't yet returned to his Dieppe home.
Arsenault said he got a cellphone number for Cleveland from his supervisor and called him.
"It's Joel from the office. Where are you?" he asked Cleveland.
Arsenault said Cleveland told him he was at home.
"That's impossible," Arseneault said he told him. "I'm at your home."
Met at Cleveland home
He said he explained to Cleveland there had been a complaint, and the vehicle description matched his and was registered to his name. Cleveland met Arsenault a few minutes later at his home.
The arresting officer said he could smell alcohol on Cleveland's breath although he was chewing breath mints. His speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot, and he had an "overly joyful" demeanour, Arsenault said.
Arsenault said he asked Cleveland, "Why did you put me in this situation?"
"Do what you have to do," was the reply, Arsenault said.
Arsenault testified that when he said "what you're doing isn't right," Cleveland told him he could "pretend that you never found me."
"I can't do that," the constable said he told him.
Not allowed in front seat
Arsenault said he took Cleveland out of his truck, searched him and put him in the back of his police vehicle. He testified Cleveland asked to sit in the front seat and was told no.
At the Codiac RCMP station, Cleveland spoke on the phone with Wendell Maxwell, a local lawyer who drives with a licence plate that says DUI DR.
Arsenault said Cleveland was acting out of character, pretending to eat hand soap while in the washroom and starting trouble with another man waiting for a breathalyzer test.
Arsenault said Cleveland said, "Look at him, he's cross eyed," which upset the man.
After the breathalyzer, Arsenault said he asked Cleveland for a phone number of someone who could pick him up at the station and take him home. Cleveland wouldn't give any information, so he spent the night in a jail cell.
Defence lawyer James Matheson had asked to have the charge withdrawn, arguing his client's right to a trial in a reasonable time had been violated. Judge Paul Duffie ruled against him.
The trial continues on Tuesday, Nov. 8, when Matheson is expected to cross-examine Arsenault.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
