N.S. judge throws out cocaine evidence after Ontario man’s rights breached
SYDNEY, N.S. — A Nova Scotia judge has ruled the seizure of two kilograms of cocaine from an Ontario man during a search at a ferry terminal violated his charter rights, prompting the Crown to drop a drug charge against the accused.
David Honcoop was selected for random screening while attempting to board a ferry to Newfoundland in North Sydney, N.S., in May 2016, according to a written Nova Scotia Supreme Court decision released this month.
A commissionaire allegedly found two kilograms of cocaine in his suitcase.
But Justice Patrick Murray ruled Honcoop’s rights were violated under Charter of Rights and Freedom protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, and threw the evidence out.