CAYUGA (Sep 26, 2008) A prominent Six Nations businessman, who was portrayed in court as a peacemaker and philanthropist, has pleaded guilty to two counts of assault in connection with a confrontation at Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia more than two years ago.
Ken Hill, 49, a former Six Nations elected band councillor, was placed on nine months' probation after entering the guilty plea before Ontario Justice Joe Nadel on Tuesday. He was given a conditional discharge, which means the offences will not be put on his record, and ordered to keep away from Caledonia residents Steve Tong and Quinton Chauss.
In entering the plea, he acknowledged assaulting the pair during a confrontation on June 4, 2006, between a group of town people and several dozen native protesters who were occupying the former residential construction site.
Hamilton defence lawyer Dean Paquette, who represented Hill, said his client had initially become involved in the incident because he was concerned for the safety of the victims.
Describing Douglas Creek Estates as "de facto native land" at the time, he told Nadel that Tong and Chauss could have been seriously hurt by going onto the former residential subdivision and confronting 40 to 50 native occupiers.
He said Hill tried to convince them to leave the site before the situation turned ugly. "You're gonna get killed. This is a dangerous place for you," he paraphrased his client as saying during an interview after the trial.
A scuffle ensued during which Hill assaulted the pair.
During the trial, Paquette told the judge that Hill had successfully rescued two OPP officers from a group of angry Six Nations residents earlier in the day.
During an interview, he said officers had found themselves surrounded by a crowd of 40 to 60 angry band members after they accidentally drove their cruiser onto the reserve. Tensions were high between the non-native police and the Six Nations people at the time and the OPP seldom went onto the reserve in marked cruisers.
"Ken Hill intervened and came to their aid and facilitated their safe return (to Caledonia)," Paquette said.
plegall@thespec.com
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Notes:
Steve Tong was arrested after reporting to the Globe and Mail that he sat in his house with a loaded gun.
Quinton ('Beau') Chauss was arrested during a 'rally' organized by Gary McHale.
Both are involved in anti-native protests in Caledonia.
