Two men Sarnia police said were wanted on serious charges linked to a robbery and allegations of forcible confinement had charges against them dropped Tuesday after they agreed to peace bonds.
Two men Sarnia police said were wanted on serious charges linked to a robbery and allegations of forcible confinement had charges against them dropped Tuesday after they agreed to peace bonds.
The alleged incident took place on June 13 at a London Line motel. The suspects asked the complainant to go to a room and demanded payment before threatening and assaulting him, police said at the time.
The complainant was reportedly taken to another location against his will, where he was held for a period of time, police said. He was eventually able to escape and get help.
Two Sarnia residents, 35-year-old Brennan Lee Erdodi and 42-year-old Michael James Coolman, were both wanted on outstanding warrants for robbery with a weapon, forcible confinement assault, and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, police said at the time. Coolman was also facing two additional charges for failing to comply with a release order, police said. Police also warned the public not to approach the suspects.
But the charges were withdrawn Tuesday after the pair agreed, over Zoom from two different Southwestern Ontario jails, to enter peace bonds.
A peace bond is a protection order made by a court under section 810 of the Criminal Code, according to the Department of Justice’s website. They are used where a defendant appears likely to have committed a criminal offence, but there are no reasonable grounds to believe that an offense has actually been committed, the site states.
Assistant Crown attorney Aniko Coughlan told Justice Mark Hornblower the case had been going to trial, but that plan recently changed.
“The Crown has received updated information from the complainant as well as the officer that led us to this… resolution today,” she said.
London criminal defense lawyer Antin Jaremchuk represented Coolman, who appeared virtually from the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre.
“On behalf of Mr. Coolman, we are agreeable to that resolution,” he said.
“He is also agreeable to enter into that resolution,” local criminal defense lawyer Sarah Donohue said on behalf of Erdodi, who is being held at the Sarnia Jail.
Their one-year bonds include a $500 pledge, but the duo won’t have to pay that money unless they’re caught breaking the rules. For the next 12 months Coolman and Erdodi can’t be within 10 meters of the complainant, go to where they live, work or go to school, or have weapons.
But neither man was released Tuesday as Jaremchuk said Coolman is still serving another sentence while Donohue said Erdodi still has outstanding charges and needs to apply for bail.
Erdodi earned back-to-back jail sentences in early 2017, including 120 days for assault causing bodily harm.