Philip Pynn hoping for time served on bail breaches

Philip Pynn’s provincial court proceedings were postponed Monday while he undergoes a prison-requested body X-ray to check for drugs.

His lawyer, Mark Gruchy, said Pynn has been held in dry cell segregation — a room without plumbing facilities, generally used in situations where an inmate is suspected of hiding contraband internally — for about three weeks. Gruchy said Pynn is willing to undergo the scan and expects to have it in the next day or so, after which time he’s hoping for bail.

Depending on the result of the X-ray, the Crown may consent to Pynn’s release, Gruchy told the court.

Prosecutor Trevor Bridger acknowledged the possibility.

Pynn is charged with three counts of possessing a controlled drug for the purpose of trafficking, and two breaches of a release order. He was charged with the drugs offences last March, when four packages were allegedly found during a body cavity search two months earlier were determined to contain 20 grams of cocaine and 72 grams of a mix of fentanyl and bromazolam. At the time, Pynn had been in custody for nine days on charges of violating previous court orders.

According to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, the drugs had an estimated street value of about $30,000.

Pynn was eventually granted bail on the charges, but was apprehended again for reportedly breaching his bail conditions. Those two breaches are the reason he’s in court this week. He’s expected to plead guilty to them when he returns Wednesday afternoon.

Gruchy indicated Pynn may be in a position to receive a sentence of time served for those two charges at that point.

Pynn appeared in court by video from HMP Monday, and Judge Phyllis Harris asked if he’d like to attend court the same way or in person on Wednesday.

“With all due respect, I’d like to be brought in,” Pynn said.