Elderly Pincher Creek, Alta. couple facing assault, mischief charges after altercation with neighbours
For the past two years, Dylan Fouillard and Madalyn Weatherill say they’ve had the usual disagreements with their neighbours over things like floodlights, parking and garbage.
Then last month, things reached a boiling point.
"I thought that throwing branches over the fence was going to be the worst thing that they did," said Weatherill.
On June 3, Dylan Fouillard said his security cameras captured images of a woman taking the lid off of a bottle and reaching over the fence to pour something suspicious into his rain barrel water supply.
Security footage
When he confronted his neighbours in response to the footage, he said things got physical, and the RCMP were called to the scene.
"Miss Barb Patterson of Pincher Creek has been charged with mischief in relation to the tampering allegation and Louis Patterson has been charged with assault of the victim involved," said Cpl. Tammy Keibel with the RCMP.
CTV News went to the Pattersons' house and knocked on their door, but the couple declined to comment.
However, Fouillard and Weatherill are still looking for answers.
That rain barrel water was used by Weatherill's two-year-old sister Jayden and was given to the couple's dog Juno before they were aware of the security camera footage.
"She's my baby sister and I don't want her to get hurt. She didn't do anything. She's not the problem," said Weatherill.
"Her and Juno are the most innocent in it and she's just trying to play."
BURNING EYES AND SKIN
After spending some time playing in the water, Jayden started to complain that her skin and eyes were burning. The couple assumed it was allergies.
Later on, Juno started vomiting and whining. After taking her to the vet, they found abnormalities with her blood work.
Fouillard said the province came to test the rain barrel water, and he said they told him over the phone that they had found glyphosate, the chemical compound found in numerous weed killers.
Poisoned water in Pincher Creek
"Unfortunately it's come in contact with our dog and little Jayden," said Fouillard.
The province confirmed to CTV News that it is involved, but declined to comment because the case is now before the courts.
Jayden and Juno are feeling much better now, but Fouillard and Weatherill are worried about the possible long-term side effects of potentially being exposed to harmful chemicals.
The Pattersons are scheduled to appear in court on August 17, but the complainants still have concerns.
"If all they're getting now is a mischief charge, what's going to be their retaliation? We're fortunate the only thing we've lost so far is most of our lawn and some pea plants and zucchini plants," said Fouillard.
"It would be a lot worse if we had to bury a little girl."
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.