Some drug charges dropped against N.S. doctor due to lack of evidence
BRIDGEWATER, N.S. — The trial of a Halifax-area doctor accused of trafficking tens of thousands of painkillers took an unexpected turn Thursday when the Crown withdrew two of the most serious charges.
Federal Crown prosecutor Josh Bryson said charges of trafficking oxycodone and possession for the purpose of trafficking were dropped in the case against Dr. Sarah Dawn Jones of Tantallon, N.S.
Bryson said the Crown withdrew the counts after realizing there wasn’t a reasonable prospect of obtaining a conviction.
He said that after hearing from four witnesses, prosecutors realized they didn’t have sufficient evidence to show the drugs weren’t being provided to patient Merle Chase, who was receiving painkillers for a number of injuries he’d suffered over the years.