Charge against ex-mooseheads captain dismissed

A criminal charge against a former captain of the Halifax Mooseheads was dismissed Wednesday after he signed a peace bond.

Ryan Falkenham, 24, of Halifax was accused of breaking into an ex-girlfriend’s residence in Glen Haven on Feb. 25.

Falkenham pleaded not guilty in March to a charge of break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence and was scheduled to have a trial Wednesday in Halifax provincial court.

But Crown attorney Mike Berrigan offered no evidence after Falkenham agreed to enter into a one-year peace bond, and Judge Gregory Lenehan dismissed the charge.

The bond requires him to keep the peace and be of good behaviour, have no contact with the complainant and remain 25 metres away from her home, workplace or educational institution.

In a statement released through defence lawyer Stan Macdonald, Falkenham said he was pleased to have the matter concluded.

“I believe that the Crown was correct in deciding not to pursue this case to trial,” Falkenham said.

“Most importantly, I would like to thank the people who reached out and supported me during this unfortunate time — my friends, my family and those who know me.”

Berrigan told The Chronicle Herald there’s a “multitude of reasons” the prosecution can decide to resolve a case with a peace bond. He said he didn’t want to elaborate on why it was done in this matter, out of respect for the complainant’s privacy.

Falkenham was selected by the Mooseheads in the fifth round of the 2011 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft. He played with the Mooseheads for four seasons until a hip condition ended his career prematurely at the age of 19.

He was a member of the team that won the QMJHL and Memorial Cup championships in 2013. He was named an alternate captain with the Mooseheads the next season and captain for the 2014-15 campaign.

After two years as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’S Drummondville Voltigeurs, he returned home to Halifax and was an assistant coach with the Dalhousie University Tigers men’s hockey team last season.