Blood on the wheel and tracking dog land alleged N.S. drunk driver in court: ‘I had a couple drinks tonight, but I have not been driving’

The fresh blood on the steering wheel was a pretty good clue.

Truro police fielded a call June 12 from a man on Empire Loop reporting a domestic dispute happening between Rhowen Patrick Craig and his girlfriend.

“Dispatch can hear Craig in the background extremely escalated,” Cpl. Judson Hall of the Truro Police Service said in a warrant application.

“When officers were on the way to the call, dispatch advised that Craig just left in a vehicle with no plate and turned left onto Young Street.”

Sgt. Edwin Reynolds spoke with a pedestrian at the intersection of Young Street and William Barnhill Drive, who told him the car had turned right onto the latter.

Matrix abandoned 

Police found the 2006 Toyota Matrix abandoned on William Barnhill.

“There was what appeared to be blood observed on the steering wheel,” Hall said in information to obtain a warrant filed at Truro provincial court.

Police heard Craig had been drinking that night, said the investigator.

Reynolds called in a police dog handler and their pooch, MoJo, to help find him.

While waiting for them to show up, Reynolds “noted someone walking north on the road and then sidewalk on Young Street, heading towards him,” Hall said.

“He shined his light on the person, and they continued to walk northbound on the sidewalk.”

His clothing matched the description police had been given of what Craig was wearing, said the investigator, noting the walker identified himself as Rhowen.

Police arrested him on the spot.

“Craig had blood on the right side of his face, along with scrapes and cuts on his right arm, as well as blood on his hands and pants,” Hall said.

“Craig was also bleeding from face and had a ‘road rash’ on his right forearm. All blood noted on Craig appeared to be fresh.”

Bike accident 

Craig told police he’d fallen off his bike earlier in the day.

“When asked where his bike was, he stated it was at home (Lyman Street) and that he got his friend to drive him to Empire Loop to his girlfriend’s house,” Hall said.

Reynolds found a set of keys on Craig that belonged to the Toyota Matrix.

“He confirmed this by locking and unlocking the vehicle.”

Const. Wendy Cormier “could smell an odour of alcohol coming directly from Craig’s breath and she read him the breath demand,” Hall said.

Craig understood and agreed to the test, he said.

“I had a couple drinks tonight, but I have not been driving,” he told police.

As they drove him to the police station, Craig told police he’d just bought a 2006 Toyota Matrix.

MoJo in action

Const. Scott Millbury, the dog handler on duty, started a track from the abandoned car with the bloody steering wheel.

“Millbury and police service dog MoJo tracked from the car to the spot where Craig was arrested,” Hall said.

Police got the Matrix towed back to their station, noting the blood on the steering wheel appeared fresh.

Craig, 32, asked for medical help, so police took him to hospital.

Threats alleged 

A witness told investigators they’d heard him threaten his girlfriend before taking off from her place on Empire Loop.

When Hall checked a police database, he learned Craig was on a release order for alleged dangerous driving in 2021.

“Craig is also on another release order for theft under $5,000 and failing to comply with a release order from charges in 2022,” he said.

Craig was on probation, with orders to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.

Hall believed he had “reasonable and probable grounds” to charge Craig with impaired driving.

‘Fresh cuts’

“I believe that the blood found inside the car will match the DNA of Craig. Craig admitted that he had just purchased a 2006 Toyota Matrix. He was located near where the vehicle was abandoned, and he has fresh cuts to his body.”

Hall convinced a judge to grant a search warrant for the car. He was looking for any alcohol containers and swabs of blood from the steering wheel to see if the DNA matched Craig’s.

They didn’t find any booze containers, but police got two swabs of blood from the car.

Craig is facing charges from June 12 for impaired driving, breaching probation and uttering threats.

Those are slated to go to trial Oct. 7, 2024, in Truro provincial court.

Craig is also facing dangerous driving charges from a June 29, 2021, incident in Avonport. That’s scheduled to go to trial later this month in Kentville provincial court.

Judges have also given him a conditional discharge and a suspended sentence on charges of theft under $5,000, two counts of failing to comply with release conditions, and fraud.