The charges laid against a Kingston councillor have been withdrawn after the city official was accused of causing a disturbance in an alleged incident involving a Kingston Transit bus.
Coun. Peter Stroud, who represents the Sydenham district, was meant to appear in court on Thursday to face charges of causing a disturbance and obstruction of property under $5,000.
Instead, neither Stroud nor his Ottawa-based defence counsel, Celine Dostaler, showed up. Local defence counsel Paul Blais spoke on behalf of Stroud, saying the charges had been withdrawn because an agreement had been reached between the defence and the Crown.
Stroud has told Global News that he wrote a letter of apology as part of something called a direct accountability program, which allows for adults who have little to no criminal history, and who are facing minor offences, to make amends for their alleged crime.
Stroud did not answer when asked who he sent the letter of apology to, but said he felt the case against him was “very weak.”
“The facts speak for themselves. My child was denied service. I protested peacefully as a father, not as a councillor,” Stroud said. He refused to comment further on the matter.
Blais could not comment on what sort of agreement was made to drop the charges. Dostaler did not respond to a request for comment.
The charges stem from an alleged incident that took place in Kingston on June 23 in which the councillor was accused of yelling, screaming and slamming on a bus’ front window.
Kingston police alleged Stroud stopped his bicycle in front of the bus several times to restrict its movements and also placed a child on the pavement in front of the bus.
Kingston police said officers learned of the alleged incident the next day and Stroud turned himself in on July 10.
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