Little Ridge man charged with killing woman in St. Stephen

Irving John Hastey, 55, of Little Ridge returns to Saint John Provincial Court on January 14 charged with second-degree murder and breaching an undertaking. The RCMP brought him to court in custody on December 27, charged with the death of Crystal Ann Tracey in a Schoodic Street, St. Stephen, residence on Christmas Eve, her 52nd birthday.
Hastey also stands charged with breaching an undertaking to a judge to have no contact by any means with Crystal Tracey nor be at her residence except "for the sole purpose of dealing with children and family matters."
The police were called to the Schoodic Street address regarding a dispute shortly after 11:10 a.m. on December 24, the RCMP said in a statement on December 26. When police arrived they found the 52‑year‑old woman from St. Stephen deceased and the 55‑year‑old man from Little Ridge unresponsive. The man was taken to hospital with serious but non‑life‑threatening injuries, and the RCMP opened a homicide investigation. An autopsy was ordered.
The RCMP arrested the man upon his release from hospital on December 26 and brought him to court in custody the next day. The judge adjourned proceedings to January 14 to allow Hastey to retain legal counsel before electing his mode of trial.
Murder charges are tried in the Court of Queen's Bench in Canada, usually by judge and jury but sometimes by judge alone. Hastey should appear with a lawyer to advise him on this election. The judge could set a date for a preliminary inquiry, a hearing before a judge in the provincial, or lower, court to determine if the Crown has enough evidence to take to trial in the higher court. The provincial court judge on January 14 could deal with other preliminary matters, but the appearance will not likely be long.
The Criminal Code of Canada defines second-degree murder as not planned and deliberate. The sentence is life in prison, but the judge can set eligibility for parole between 10 and 25 years. A possible verdict could include the lesser offence of manslaughter, causing death through an illegal act but not intending to cause death. Hastey will not plead to the charges against him until he appears in Court of Queen's Bench, probably some months down the road.
The RCMP have released few details on what happened on Schoodic Street outside three written statements posted online. The RCMP will not likely release the cause of death and other information from the autopsy before it comes out in court, spokeswoman Cpl. Jullie Rogers‑Marsh says.
A member of Crystal Tracey's family did not wish to speak to a reporter, but a standing‑room‑only crowd filling both overflow rooms gathered for the funeral at the S.O. Mehan & Son Funeral Home in St. Stephen on December 31, New Year's Eve.
Rev. Dr. Mark Hatfield urged Tracey's three children -- Regan, Taylor and Kiernan, all of St. Stephen -- to "reach out to her, talking to Mom and listening to her wisdom." He urged mourners to "take every memory that you have of her, every time she smiled at you like this, or was generous, then you say, 'OK, I'm going to try to live up to that, I'm going to honour her.' We can't do it to her anymore, but we can still do it to each other."
"Crystal has a favour to ask of each one of us, and this is the favour: please be kind," he said.
Musical selections included John Newton's "Amazing Grace" and Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven."
Crystal Tracey was born to the late John and Shirley (Little) Tracey on December 24, 1966. Besides her children, she is survived by her granddaughter, Paisley; sisters, Marilyn Little and husband John of Waweig and Valerie Tubbs and husband Sidney of Rollingdam; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother, Wayne.
The family would appreciate remembrances to a charity of one's choice, according to the death notice.