ABOVE: Patrick Brazeau is once again facing legal trouble following an arrest for assault and other charges Thursday
GATINEAU, QUE. – Suspended Senator Patrick Brazeau will spend the night in jail after being charged with two counts of assault, uttering death threats, cocaine possession and breach of bail conditions.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges Thursday.
A clean-shaven Brazeau, dressed in a black blazer and green shirt, arrived at a Gatineau courthouse in a brown police van just before 10 a.m.
Police responded to a domestic disturbance call on Boulevard Labrosse around 4 a.m. where they found a man and a woman in an altercation outside of the home.
Brazeau appeared in court briefly Thursday afternoon in handcuffs, turning his back to the courtroom as he spoke briefly with his lawyer. He is set to appear in court again on Friday morning.
Crown prosecutor Sylvain Petitclerc said he objected to Brazeau’s release from custody, because he breached bail conditions from a previous assault charge.
“We cannot just let him go free as a bird,” said Petitclerc.
Gatineau police spokesman Pierre Lanthier said a 39-year-old man was arrested after a 911 phone call.
Police said another man was in the house at the time of the disturbance call and told police he was assaulted by the man in custody, while the accused said the man inside the house assaulted him.
The 50-year-old man is also facing assault charges.
Brazeau was suspended from the Senate last November for allegedly collecting allowances and expense claims he was not entitled to.
He was formally charged by the RCMP in February with fraud and breach of trust.
Brazeau was also charged with assault and sexual assault following an incident last February. He has pleaded not guilty to both charges and a trial date is also expected to be set on Friday.
– with a file from The Canadian Press
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