A St. Thomas man, who was found guilty in a 2023 drug trafficking investigation in Chatham-Kent (CK), has received bail while he appeals his gun charges.
Steven Brown was granted bail on September 16 after the Ontario Court of Appeal determined that a warrant used by St. Thomas police to search his home and confiscate a loaded firearm had breached his Charter rights.
Police seized nearly $1 million worth of drugs and weapons when they carried out search warrants in Chatham, London, and St. Thomas on October 4, 2023, as part of the CK drug investigation involving law enforcement from Chatham-Kent, London, Windsor, St. Thomas, and the Ontario Provincial Police.
As part of his release conditions, Brown must stay with his mother in St. Thomas under house arrest, wear an electronic monitoring device, and can only leave the house with one of his sureties.
The Appeals Court noted that the trial judge described the police’s entry into Brown’s home as a serious invasion of privacy but chose not to suppress the evidence.
The Appeals Court judge found that the appeal isn’t frivolous, saw no major public safety issues with Brown’s release plan, and agreed that this strict arrangement adequately addresses any safety concerns related to his release.
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