Two individuals, Dana Metcalfe and Shane Sweeney, are facing charges of criminal harassment and causing a disturbance in relation to a protest that took place outside the home of Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey. The charges were officially filed, and the individuals had their first appearance at provincial court in St. John’s. As part of their court conditions, Metcalfe and Sweeney have been ordered to stay away from the premier’s home and have no contact with him or any family member.
They are scheduled to appear in court on November 2 for their election and plea. Averill Baker, a lawyer from St. John’s, is listed as Metcalfe’s representative in court filings. However, she did not respond to requests for comment.
Lisa Stead, the director of public prosecutions for Newfoundland and Labrador, stated that a Crown attorney from Nova Scotia will be brought in to handle the case to avoid any potential conflict of interest. This decision was made because one of the alleged victims is the premier himself.
Premier Furey declined to comment on the charges, emphasizing that he will not discuss any specifics of the legal matter. However, he expressed concern about the incident, stating that political leaders should not have to endure protests at their homes or have their families frightened.
The protest outside Premier Furey’s home took place on July 9. A video posted on Sweeney’s Facebook feed showed a convoy of cars honking and smoke flares. Metcalfe, who is a former People’s Party of Canada candidate, also shared the same video on her social media accounts.
In addition to her involvement in the protest outside the premier’s home, Metcalfe organized Newfoundland’s participation in the “Freedom Convoy” to Ottawa last year and took part in a 2021 protest against vaccine mandates in St. John’s.
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