P.E.I. Man Sentenced for Threats Causing Lockdown at 3 Health Facilities

Based on coverage from CBC and SaltWire.

A Charlottetown man whose phone threats sparked a lockdown at three eastern P.E.I. health-care sites has been sentenced to six months of house arrest, with strict conditions and a requirement to get mental health support.

Eric Frank Campbell, 51, pleaded guilty on Feb. 5 to charges related to uttering threats and to breaching probation. On Feb. 9 in provincial court in Charlottetown, a judge accepted a joint sentencing recommendation from Crown and defence for a six-month conditional sentence to be served in the community, not jail.

Code Silver lockdown in Montague area

The threats were made on Jan. 15 and triggered a Code Silver at Kings County Memorial Hospital, the Montague Health Centre, and the Bailey Drive Health Clinic. The three facilities were briefly locked down.

One report describes the threats as being made against a health-care professional working in Kings County, while another specifies a threat to shoot a doctor in Montague. Both accounts agree the calls led Health P.E.I. to take the situation seriously enough to lock down multiple sites.

What Campbell told Health P.E.I.

In court, the Crown said Campbell was angry with Health P.E.I. and the provincial health-care system because he did not have a family doctor and could not get a prescription for medication tied to a diagnosed mental illness. Another account, presented as agreed facts, said Campbell told a Health P.E.I. employee he was upset about not being able to get a doctor and his bipolar medication.

According to the court summary, Campbell told the employee he would get a gun and shoot his former doctor in Montague. The court also heard that Campbell later spoke with another Health P.E.I. representative and said he had a gun and did not want to hurt anyone, but also told her she had better “watch the news” that night.

Police contacted the Montague doctor, who told officers Campbell had missed about 10 appointments and had been dropped as a patient.

Police response and mental health apprehension

A Charlottetown police officer responded to a complaint from a Health P.E.I. employee about Campbell’s calls, according to the court record described at sentencing.

Campbell was on electronic monitoring at the time, and that monitoring confirmed he was in Charlottetown at work, not in Montague, when the threats were made. Police went to his workplace and apprehended him at 11:37 a.m. under the Mental Health Act, based on his comments and concern he was not taking his medication.

He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for assessment. Police also determined Campbell did not own firearms, had never had a firearm registered to him, and did not have a firearms licence. He was later arrested at the QEH mental health unit for uttering threats and breach of probation.

Conditional sentence terms and restrictions

Both Crown and defence supported a six-month conditional sentence, with the Crown arguing rehabilitation would not be best achieved in jail. The sentence includes house arrest and electronic monitoring.

Conditions include staying inside his home unless he gets advance permission from a supervisor, and a ban on possessing firearms, ammunition, and explosive substances. He is also prohibited from contacting the health-care professional he threatened and the Health P.E.I. employees who received the threats. Another report adds the no-contact order also covers the Montague doctor.

Campbell was also ordered to undergo a mental health assessment or counselling. The court also heard he would complete 20 hours of community service.

Apology letters and what comes next

Campbell, who appeared by video from jail, apologized in court and agreed to write letters of apology to those impacted. He told the court that while in custody he has been receiving his bipolar medication, but said he still did not have a doctor in the community and planned to use a walk-in clinic to keep access to his medication.

Source 1 | Source 2