A 51-year-old man was in Sydney provincial court to face several charges after he allegedly smashed a front-end loader into a home and then into a liquor store in Cape Breton early Monday.
Kevin Morrison of Sydney is charged with break and enter, flight from police, taking a motor vehicle without consent, and four counts of mischief.
Cape Breton Regional Police received reports that a front-end loader was attempting to demolish a home on Seaview Drive in North Sydney, N.S., around 5 a.m., Monday.
While responding to the scene, officers received information that the machine had left the home and was travelling on Seaview Drive towards North Sydney.
The officers found it near the Northern Yacht Club, but say the driver failed to stop. The officers continued to follow the tractor to the Superstore parking lot on King Street, where they say the driver stopped briefly before crashing into a concrete barrier in front of an NSLC store.
Police say no one was home at the time of the incident, and no one was inside the NSLC store, but the home sustained significant damage.
Crown attorney Sheldon Nathanson says the investigation is ongoing.
“The Crown has serious concerns with respect to the victim in this particular case and should he be released that he would obey any conditions,” Nathanson says. “At this point the Crown is not satisfied with his release or anything put forward by the defence.”
According to Nova Scotia property records, Audra D. Forester is the owner of the damaged home and the court has ordered Morrison not to have any contact with her. She was present in court Tuesday and has applied for a peace bond against the accused.
Court documents say Morrison has been ordered not to have any contact with two other women. The documents also state that Morrison allegedly damaged the power meter on one of the women’s homes.
“Information was provided today to the Crown by one of the witnesses that I’ll be discussing with the regional police,” says Nathanson. “It’s a concern for the victim and other information that possibly might lead to other charges.
Information sworn in court indicates the front-end loader is property of Nova Scotia Power.
A source tells CTV News that the incident was the result of a domestic dispute and police confirm all parties involved are known to each other.
“I really don't know what to say. I’ve never seen anything like that,” says neighbour Gary Standing. “It's a quiet neighbourhood here and to see something like that go on, it sort of takes you back.”
Morrison is scheduled to appear in Sydney provincial court again on Thursday for a bail hearing. None of the charges have been proven in court.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
