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Burned-out licence plate light leads to more serious charges

Police say they found several packages of pt and $9,000 in cash in the vehicle
20160202 Guelph Police Service Sign 02 KA
Kenneth Armstrong/GuelphToday file photo

Driving with a burned-out licence plate light led to several charges early Thursday for a Guelph male.

Guelph police were on patrol in the area of Silvercreek Parkway South and Waterloo Avenue when they observed a motor vehicle leaving a licensed establishment and noted the plate was illegible due to the light being out.

The vehicle was stopped and officers immediately detected an odour of cannabis coming from inside. The driver, who was observed to have red glassy eyes, was asked to provide a breath sample into an approved screening device. He refused even after being cautioned it is a criminal offence to do so.

The male was arrested for refusing to comply with a breath demand. A search of his vehicle subsequent to arrest revealed several packages of cannabis, four cellphones and more than $9,000 in cash.

A 36-year-old Guelph male was further charged with possessing cannabis for the purpose of selling and driving with cannabis readily available under the Cannabis Act and driving with an improper licence plate light under the Highway Traffic Act.

His driver’s licence was immediately suspended for 90 days and his vehicle impounded for seven days. He will appear in a Guelph court Dec. 21.