Former hockey player released from custody
Todd Gillingham turned himself in Thursday after being a no-show in court Wednesday
Former St. John’s Maple Leafs player Todd Gillingham spent about an hour in custody Thursday morning before being released with a new court date.
Gillingham had been taken into custody after he turned himself in to provincial court. A judge had issued a warrant for his arrest Wednesday after he didn’t show up for a scheduled appearance to answer to four charges.
Gillingham, 48, is charged with two counts of impaired driving and two charges of driving with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit, stemming from incidents on Oct. 5 and
Oct. 20 of last year.
A new charge of failing to appear in court was laid against him Thursday morning.
Gillingham waited in custody Thursday morning while his lawyer, Bob Buckingham, appeared before the judge on his behalf. The Crown agreed to release Gillingham on conditions, including that he not operate a motor vehicle and that he submit to fingerprinting and photos at RNC headquarters. He will make his next court appearance May 14.
Gillingham has been convicted of similar charges in the past. In 2011 he was fined $2,500 and given a two-year driving ban after he was found guilty of driving while impaired, and in 2014 he was handed a year-long driving ban and a fine of $1,100 for impaired driving/refusing to provide a breath sample, as well as failing to comply with a demand for testing.
A native of Corner Brook, Gillingham played four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and four seasons in the AHL for the St. John’s Maple Leafs as well as for local senior hockey teams before retiring about 10 years ago and turning to real estate.
Gillingham’s Linkedin page says he worked as a counsellor at the province’s youth detention centre in Whitbourne for a year starting in 2006, and in 2014 he founded italknl, a website he describes as a support resource for those dealing with mental health and addictions issues.