Woman who stole clothing gets house arrest

A P.E.I. man who pulled a knife and a baton in the Charlottetown Mall parking lot to threaten someone he thought had ratted him out in prison was sentenced Tuesday to three months in jail.

Blake Miles Ronald Pursey, 22, appeared before Chief Judge Nancy Orr in provincial court in Charlottetown where he pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon, uttering a threat and possessing a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace.

Crown attorney Gerald Quinn told the court Charlottetown police responded to a complaint about an assault with a weapon in the mall parking lot.

The victim told police Pursey asked him to go for a walk.

Quinn said the two had spent time in jail together and Pursey thought the victim had ratted him out, which led to Pursey having to change cells.

The victim told police Pursey called him a “rat” and threatened to cut him with a knife.

There were several people in the area when Pursey showed the victim a large hunting knife and threatened to use a baton he pulled out of his shirt sleeve.

He left before the police arrived.

The Crown and defence made a joint sentencing recommendation of three months in jail with 18 months of probation.

Orr accepted the joint recommendation.

While on probation Pursey must follow several conditions, including he have no contact with eight people who witnessed the incident.

He is also banned from the mall during his probation.

Pursey was ordered to provide a DNA sample for the national databank and was given a weapons prohibition.

A Summerside woman who stole more than $300 worth of clothing from a Charlottetown Superstore was given 75 days of house arrest recently.

Jessica Ashley Emma Simpson, 29, appeared before Judge John Douglas in provincial court in Charlottetown for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to the theft.

The court heard that on June 12 Simpson went to the clothing section of a Superstore and put some items in a purse.

When staff confronted her, Simpson swung the purse at them and an employee grabbed it.

Defence lawyer Thane MacEachern said the clothing was for Simpson’s children.

As part of the conditional sentence, Simpson will have to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet if her probation officer directs her to.

She will be on probation for one year and must pay a $200 victim surcharge.