Moncton protester admits violating COVID rules, criminal charges dropped

A Moncton woman has pleaded guilty to violating New Brunswick's emergency measures meant to limit the spread of COVID-19 during a protest outside Moncton city hall in January.

Dawn Teakles, 50, of Moncton pleaded guilty to the charge under the Emergency Measures Act on Wednesday in Moncton provincial court.

In exchange, criminal charges she also faced were withdrawn by the Crown prosecutor. Teakles must follow the terms of a peace bond, which requires her not to have contact with four others also charged following the Jan. 24 protest.

"No one enjoys the emergency measures that are in place, no one wants to do those, but as a society, we must try to keep each other safe," Judge Luc Labonté told Teakles after she pleaded guilty.

Teakles, wearing a mask in court, said nothing to the court when given the chance.

Crown prosecutor Nick Comeau told the judge RCMP responded to an anti-mask event at city hall that January day.

Comeau said police warned people at the protest that under the emergency order in place at the time, gatherings were limited to five people or less, face coverings were required outdoors, and people weren't to come closer than two metres of each other.

Must pay $240 fine

Comeau said one officer was approached by a woman not wearing a mask later identified as Teakles, who told police they "didn't have a contract with her."

She was warned, then ticketed and charged.

Defence lawyer Martin Goguen told the judge Teakles had worked at the Moncton Hospital and had no criminal record. He said she had already spent the equivalent of three days in jail between when she was arrested and released on bail.

The Crown waived a surcharge, meaning Teakles will have 90 days to pay a $240 fine.

Cases involving four others arrested following the same protest are scheduled to return to court in the coming weeks.