STELLARTON – The Town of Stellarton is still waiting for Justice Nick Scaravelli of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia to make a decision about its appeal of the Police Review Board’s decision that the town’s former police chief Ambrose Heighton should be reinstated at one rank lower than chief.
Dec. 11 Scaravelli had dismissed the town’s request that Heighton not be allowed to return to work while the town waited for the court’s decision on the appeal.
“The town made an application to keep him away for a period of a time,” David Bright, Heighton’s lawyer explained Tuesday. “That was refused.”
What they are still waiting for is whether the justice believes the Police Review Board had the authority to say that Heighton should be put back at one rank lower.
For the sake of all involved, Bright said he hopes it’s all over soon.
“This has gone on far too long,” he said.
Heighton has been back to work since December.
“I think he’s a very good policeman and I think the town’s well served to have him back,” Bright said.
Heighton was fired on Oct. 8, 2008, after he allegedly wrote a letter with accusations about members of the Pictou RCMP. The letter described the RCMP officers taking part in sex parties and alleged drug use.
Heighton appealed the town’s decision and the matter was sent to the Police Review Board. The Review Board ruled in April that Heighton should not have been fired for the misconduct, although they did deem his actions inappropriate for a police chief.
The board said the town acted too harshly by firing Heighton and said he should be reinstated at one rank lower than his former position of chief.
In May the Town of Stellarton began the process of appealing the decision and their request for a judicial review of the decision by the Police Review Board was heard by the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia on Dec. 11.
