Bail denied for man accused of arson, break and entry, assault

Jesse Butt-carter’s charges have piled up and gotten more serious, judge says

Jesse Butt-carter’s list of charges begins with an incident in which he allegedly got mad after a gas station employee refused to fistbump him.

It ends with police pepperspraying him after he reportedly set three small fires in his home and hid in the crawlspace.

Butt-carter poses a serious risk to the community and the public might be “aghast” if he made bail, Provincial Court Judge Harold Porter said earlier this month, rejecting Butt-carter’s application for release in St. John’s.

Butt-carter remains in custody to await his next court appearance on 13 charges, including two assaults, arson, break and entry, mischief by damaging property, resisting arrest and several violations of court orders. He repeatedly interjected during his bail hearing Nov. 2 as prosecutor Robin Singleton read aloud the unproven allegations against him, starting with a July 6 incident at an Elizabeth Avenue gas station.

The court heard Buttcarter, 28, had gone there to buy beer and grew mad when the clerk refused to fistbump him, calling him an a**hole and refusing to leave the store.

After a second employee arrived, Butt-carter reportedly kicked him three times in the arm and knocked over a display of windshield wipe fluid before leaving.

Police went looking for Butt-carter at his home several times over the next few weeks, finally finding him there. He refused to come out and told the officers to come back with a warrant.

The next day, police returned to the address after a 911 hang-up call was traced there, finding two men who said Butt-carter and another man had assaulted them.

“When he heard that in the read-out by the Crown attorney, the accused interjected, claiming that (one of the men) had been struck with a bong,” the judge said in his decision.

Butt-carter was arrested and granted bail with a condition to stay away from that address and live somewhere else, but a month later was charged with beaching that order.

In October, police visited the home again on a complaint that Butt-carter had returned, and found the door barricaded. One officer called out, “Jesse!” and reportedly heard him reply, “What?” then “Jesse’s not here!”

When the officers opened the door, they found blood on the floor, a window open and no-one home.

Police were again called to the residence Nov. 2, on a report that Butt-carter was back there and damaging the place. Officers found the door barricaded with furniture and, once inside, located a small fire in a closet, which they put out. Butt-carter allegedly called out to them from inside a crawlspace, where there were two more small fires. Police used pepper spray on the accused before taking him into custody and bringing him to court for a bail hearing.

Butt-carter testified he would go live at the new address and was hoping to keep his new job.

“That is the same bail plan that he was released on before,” the judge said. “It appears the accused is in a downward spiral in his life.

“The charges against the accused are not only piling up but they are becoming more serious, as well.”

Porter found it likely Buttcarter would reoffend if released, and denied him bail. The accused is set to return to court Nov. 29.