RCMP Watch

Rosie Gillingham, St. John’s, NFLD (The Telegram) - The female RCMP officer who was acquitted of drunk driving charges almost six months ago has been charged again with the same offences and has been suspended from the force, Transcontinental Media has learned.

Const. Jacqueline Remillard of Conception Bay South was pulled over June 27 in St. John’s and charged with impaired driving and exceeding the legal limit of 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

The 36-year-old was released and appeared in provincial court two weeks ago.

She’s due back Sept. 8 to enter an election and plea.

It’s the second time in two years Remillard has been charged with drunk driving offences.

On March 4, 2006, a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer on his way home from work around 4 a.m. spotted the car Remillard was driving in a snow bank in the Freshwater Road area.

She took two breathalyzer tests which resulted in readings of 120 to 130 mg.

However, on March 6 of this year, following a trial at provincial court, Remillard was acquitted of both charges after her lawyer, Graham Watton, raised questions about whether the breathalyzer tests had been administered in a practical time period or with the two-hour limit.

He had pointed to several inconsistencies in the RNC officers’ testimony regarding time and the sequence of events that night. He had also pointed out that the signs of impairment could have been attributed to Remillard’s diabetes or her eating disorder.

At the time of the 2006 incident, Remillard had been stationed in the Avalon East district and had been on personal leave.

She was not suspended from the force at that time and whether she returned to active duty depended on the outcome of an internal review.

Details of the latest incident are not being released. RCMP communications strategist Helen Escott-Cleary declined comment.

“We can’t comment on anything that’s before the court,” Escott-Cleary said.

However, she did confirm that as a result of the Aug. 8 incident, Remillard has been suspended with pay.

The internal investigation, she said, is continuing.