CORNER BROOK, N.L. — A two-day trial begins today in provincial court for a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer facing charges including choking and assault with a weapon.
The province's police watchdog agency said in March that Const. Noelle Laite had been charged in relation to off-duty assaults alleged to have occurred in the western Newfoundland town of Pasadena.
Court documents show Laite is alleged to have assaulted and choked another woman an undisclosed number of times between Sept. 1, 2020, and Jan. 31 of this year.
Laite is also accused of hitting the woman with a cardboard box on Jan. 15 and assaulting her and causing bodily harm on Dec. 31, 2021.
In a June 8 Facebook post, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary included Laite among a list of officers who had received a commendation from the force's chief of police.
The force removed Laite's name from the list a week later following media reports criticizing the accolade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2022.
The Canadian Press
