Villagers are fed up with property crimes by frequent repatriates, Mayor Ken Stanix said in an out-of-court interview. “Criminals escape with everything,” he said. “I wanted to support the people who allegedly took the law into their own hands.” According to court records, McAdam’s Billy McGillicuddy was heard on bail Thursday and charged with six counts of felony criminal mischief, including assault with a shotgun, a shotgun and a machete. and forced restriction. All charges stem from an incident on June 4 and the victim is identified only by the initials in the charges. Mayor McAdam and residents appeared in court on Thursday to support a man accused of what some call a vigilance of justice. (Rosemary Blair / Submitted) Another person was arrested but released without charge. Only three supporters were allowed to enter the court because of COVID precautions, said Rosemary Blair, a Fredericton woman who knew the accused as a former pastor. “We know he is a good man,” he said of the accused. Both men arrested were men in their 40s, Stanix said. “Fathers, hard workers.” McGillicuddy is a former McAdam Fellowship minister who worked with the youth and “had a very positive impact on the community,” he said. The man who was released earlier is a contractor. “They are just solid people in the community,” he said. “It just gives you an idea of the level of frustration people are going through.”
The issue has been going on for years
Stannix and Blair said the issue has been going on for many years. Stanix said there were incidents such as the drilling of a gas tank for the theft of $ 20 worth of gas by an elderly man, who then had to spend hundreds of dollars on repairs. Equipment was also stolen from the back of a vehicle at a contractor, he said. It may seem trivial, Stannix said, but incidents like these are “worrying.” “Well, yes, people have reached a boiling point.” Stanix said he has spoken with the RCMP and the provincial Department of Justice and Public Safety and has scheduled meetings to discuss the issue over the next two weeks. He said he also hopes to hold a public meeting in McAdam where people can express their concerns. The RCMP did not respond to a request for comment regarding McAdam’s policing concerns.
