RCMP sergeant cleaned up son's mess after reckless car crash, court hears

Brent Hillier Jr. was "bug-eyed" and "incoherent" as he tore through Upper Island Cove on June 1, 2018, with a box of the prescription opioid Suboxone in the cupholder of his silver Hyundai Elantra.

He slammed into a convenience store, then backed up and slammed into it again. He stopped his car in the middle of the road. He raced through a school zone. He eventually came to a stop after driving into a fence, house and light pole on a narrow street.

All this information was provided by witnesses and read into the record Thursday at provincial court in Harbour Grace, after Hillier Jr. pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance. He was sentenced to six months' house arrest and given a two-year driving ban.

Hillier Jr., the son of a senior RCMP officer, was not charged with impaired driving.

He does, however, have a previous impaired driving conviction from 2013 and several other driving infractions on his record.

Father cleaned up debris

Sgt. Brent Hillier Sr. was the lone police officer patrolling Upper Island Cove that day.

He was the first officer on scene after the crash. According to the agreed statement of facts, Hillier Jr. was allowed to leave and drive the vehicle to a house down the road.

Hillier Sr. then went home and changed out of his uniform. When he came back to the scene, he began clearing away debris and offered to pay for a contractor to fix the damages.

That's when the homeowner called the RCMP and demanded to speak with another officer.

Hillier Jr. did not go to the hospital until the next day. In the doctor's notes, it says he was driving 90 km/h and hit his head on the steering wheel.

The statement of facts says the RCMP received complaints from members of the public about its response to the incident.

Four days after the crash, the RCMP's major crimes division came from St. John's to investigate Hillier Jr.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary took over an investigation into Hillier Sr.'s actions after the crash. Charges were laid against both the father and the son.

Hillier Sr. is charged with breach of trust by a public officer and attempting to obstruct justice. He will have a preliminary inquiry in November.

Not a slap on the wrist, judge says

The Crown and defence agreed on most of the recommendations for Hillier Jr.'s sentence.

While the defence wanted four months' house arrest, Judge Jacqueline Brazil opted for a six-month sentence.

"Conditional sentences can be perceived by the public as a joke," Brazil said, before adding it's not an easy ride for people who actually follow their strict conditions.

Brazil also warned him not to breach his conditions in a small town like Upper Island Cove.

Given the list of witnesses who described his driving, she said, it's likely everybody is paying attention to his every move.

"People will be watching you and if you decide to breach this conditional order you will end up spending the rest of the time at [Her Majesty's Penitentiary]."

He was also fined $2,000 for driving without insurance. Bell Aliant sought a $2,951 restitution order for the damaged pole, but Brazil denied it. The company will have to take Hillier Jr. to civil court to get its money back.

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