Cobourg’s police chief is criticizing the courts after a man accused of assaulting a member of the public and a police officer committed another crime the following day when he was released on bail.
“This is totally unacceptable at so many levels,” said Chief Paul VandeGraaf in a statement released on Saturday morning (September 30).
On Thursday at around 4:45 p.m., police responded to a report of an assault in a parking lot in the area of Division Street and Chapel Street in Cobourg, where a man asked the victim to hand over his money, uttered threats, and then punched the victim in the face. The victim received minor injuries.
Police located and arrested a suspect a short distance away and charged 35-year-old Daniel Tyler Foden with robbery with violence, uttering threats to cause death, and assaulting a peace officer. The accused man was held in custody for a bail hearing and was released on Friday, with his bail conditions including not being in the Town of Cobourg and obeying a curfew each night from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m.
Later on Friday, Foden was arrested again after damaging property at a construction site in the north end of Cobourg. He was charged with mischief and two counts of failing to comply with a court order and was held for another bail hearing.
“This individual was arrested for violent offences committed in a specific neighbourhood in our community that is currently experiencing increased crime and victimization,” Chief VandeGraaf said. “This individual assaulted and robbed a member of our community and then the police officer investigating that matter.”
“The decision of this court failed to support our community by allowing this person back into the community with no regard for the impact on the community, the victims, or the police. Not one day passed before this person re-offended in our community. This is aggravating the level of frustration in our community with a system that does not meet our collective expectations.”
