Officer accused of assaulting wife can’t take gun home
Date: Feb 24, 2006 10:32 AM
PUBLICATION: The Hamilton Spectator
DATE: 2006.02.24
EDITION: Final
SECTION: Local
PAGE: A5
BYLINE: Paul Legall
SOURCE: The Hamilton Spectator
DATELINE: MILTON
WORD COUNT: 349

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Officer accused of assaulting wife can’t take gun home

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A Halton police officer accused of assaulting his estranged wife will be
allowed to keep his gun on the job as part of his bail release
conditions.

But Justice of the Peace Lena Mills told Robert Bonefant he’ll have to
leave the service pistol at the police station. He faces charges of
assault causing bodily harm and assault relating to incidents in January
2005, when he was still living with his wife, and an altercation in
Oakville this week.

Mills agreed to release Bonefant on $5,000 recognizance at a bail
hearing yesterday. He didn’t have to deposit any money but would be on
the hook for that amount if he violates his bail conditions. His father,
Alcide Bonefant of Dundas, will act as his surety until the matter is
resolved in court.

The Oakville resident, who served 14 years with Toronto police before
joining the Halton service three years ago, had been in custody since
Tuesday when he was arrested in Oakville as a result of an incident
involving his ex- wife.

According to family court documents, the pair have two young children
and have been separated since last year. They’re currently involved in
family court proceedings and were to appear before a judge in Milton on
Wednesday, the day after he was charged. As part of his bail conditions,
Bonefant was ordered to keep away from his estranged wife and to arrange
visitations of the children through his father.

Halton media officer Sergeant Jeff Corey said Bonefant will be
reassigned to what he described as non-operational duties where he’ll
have no front line contact with the public.

He said because of the freshness of the charges, it hasn’t yet been
determined whether he’ll be investigated under the Ontario Police
Services Act. Under the revised act, Corey said, police officers can be
charged with professional misconduct whether they’re on or off duty.
Depending on the severity of the conduct, the non-criminal disciplinary
charges can result in a range of penalties from a mild reprimand to
dismissal.

Bonefant is to make a routine appearance in Milton court on March 8.