CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A P.E.I. man who had a dog and 36 Coors Light in his vehicle when the police stopped him was sentenced recently to 30 days in jail for drunk driving.
Tyler James Bernard, 30, appeared before Judge Nancy Orr in provincial court in Charlottetown for sentencing after previously entering a guilty plea.
During his previous appearance, the court heard that on Nov. 28 at around 3:15 a.m., RCMP responded to a call from a woman asking to have Bernard removed from her property.
The woman told police Bernard was in his vehicle drinking and when they arrived, they saw him backing out of a driveway.
Crown attorney Nathan Beck said Bernard, who had his dog in his vehicle, stopped a few hundred metres away.
The court heard Bernard also had 36 beer on the passenger side of the vehicle.
Bernard later provided breathalyzer samples that were more than twice the legal limit.
Beck said Bernard had a prior conviction in 2012 for failing the breathalyzer and another in 2013 for driving while disqualified.
He also hasn’t had a driver’s licence since 2009.
Orr couldn’t sentence Bernard after his guilty plea because there were no beds available at the provincial correctional centre at the time.
A shortage of beds at the jail has been an ongoing issue since the COVID-19 pandemic began and restrictions at the facility were put in place.
When he returned to court, Orr fined Bernard $2,000 and banned him from driving for two years after his release from jail.
Orr waived a $600 victim surcharge since Bernard couldn’t be sentenced the day he pleaded guilty.
Ryan Ross is The Guardian's justice reporter
