A man from St. Thomas who was convicted after a 2023 drug trafficking probe in Chatham-Kent (CK) has been granted bail pending his appeal of gun charges.
Steven Brown was released on bail on September 16 after the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled a warrant allowing St. Thomas police to search his home and seize a loaded firearm had violated his Charter rights.
Nearly $1 million worth of drugs and firearms were seized after police executed search warrants in Chatham, London, and St. Thomas on October 4, 2023, as part of a drug investigation in CK, involving police in Chatham-Kent, London, Windsor, St. Thomas, and the Ontario Provincial Police.
Brown is required to live with his mother in St. Thomas under house arrest, will be subject to electronic monitoring, and will only be permitted to leave the residence in the company of one of his sureties.
A decision by the Appeals Court stated the trial judge characterized the police intrusion into Brown’s home as a serious invasion of his personal privacy, but declined to exclude the evidence.
The Appeals Court judge concluded that the appeal is not frivolous, saw no significant public safety concerns arising from Brown’s release plan, and was satisfied that this strict plan sufficiently addresses any public safety concerns arising from his release.
