The Crown has dropped charges against two men accused of an assault in Yellowknife last year.
NWT RCMP arrested and charged Dean and Donovan McNeely following an “armed and barricaded situation” at the Franklin House apartments in the city’s downtown on the evening of February 23, 2024.
Police said at the time they had received reports that a person was armed with a knife and was threatening people in the apartment building.
RCMP said the suspects were also wanted in connection with a previous incident.
According to court records, Donovan McNeely, 27, was accused of assaulting a man with a hammer, leaving the scene of a vehicle accident, and failing to stop while being pursued by police on February 21, 2024.
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Dean McNeely, 38, was accused of assaulting the same man on the same day.
In regard to both incidents, police charged Donovan with assault with a weapon, uttering threats, possession of property obtained by crime, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, failing to remain at the scene of a collision and flight from a peace officer.
RCMP charged Dean with assault and possession of property obtained by crime in connection to the earlier February 21 incident.
Donovan pleaded guilty to uttering threats and failing to comply with a condition of a release order that he have no contact with Dean in connection to the February 23, 2024 incident. The Crown withdrew an additional charge of uttering threats and two counts of assault with a knife.
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Earlier this year, Judge Robert Gorin sentenced Donovan to 45 days in jail for the uttering threats charge, to be served at the same time as a one-day sentence for breaching the release order.
Dean and Donovan were set to face trial on the remaining charges – stemming from the February 21, 2024 incident – last week.
Ahead of the trial, however, the Crown withdrew charges against both men, as first reported by the CBC.
Nathalie Houle, a spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, said in a statement that at the time of the trial, the Crown “no longer had a reasonable prospect of conviction.” No further information was provided.
