Serial burglar appears on 267 charges
Robert (Bobby) Newell was the subject of a public appeal by the RNC last month
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary issued a public advisory about a wanted man on May 18. This week he made an appearance by phone from prison in provincial court in St. John’s, where he stands charged with a total of 267 offences.
The docket next to 37-yearold Bobby Newell’s name lists 43 charges of theft under $5,000, 212 charges of breaching court orders and charges of break and entry, possessing stolen property, trafficking in stolen property and failing to show up for court.
Newell’s proceeding Wednesday was brief, with Judge Phyllis Harris agreeing to set the newest of those charges over to be called with the rest at his previously scheduled June 22 court date.
“Thank you very much, Judge Harris, have a nice day,” Newell said politely as his case adjourned.
Newell is well-known to police and to the courts, particularly for his history of break-ins. His criminal record spans more than 50 pages and consists mainly of break-ins at commercial establishments. He was arrested in March 2020 and spent almost a year in custody before he was released with strict conditions at the end of February to await his next court date. At that time, he told the court he had an appointment with an opiate addiction treatment team and had taken steps to transfer his case to drug-treatment court. He also asked if his condition to stay away from outlets selling alcohol could be amended to allow him to visit restaurants; the Crown declined.
The specialized court offers an alternative therapeutic approach for offenders with addictions who are charged with drug-motivated offences, with the goal of dealing with the issues that contribute to their crimes. Offenders taking part in the program commit to treatment, random drug testing and social services support in exchange for a more lenient sentence.
Police issued a public appeal for information on Newell’s whereabouts three months after his release, saying he was wanted in relation to multiple thefts in the St. John’s area over the previous weeks and they had warrants for his arrest. Officers apprehended Newell when they executed a warrant on a centre-city residence two days later.
Newell will remain in custody for now.
Newell — whose prior convictions include breaking into a St. John’s church and stealing a communion box, leaving behind a juice carton with his DNA on the spout — has often self-represented in court in the past. In 2018 a Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court judge advised him to get his life together and use his talents in a more productive way.