A Pouch Cove man facing charges after police found a vehicle in the water last weekend appeared in provincial court today for the start of a bail hearing.

Raymond O’Keefe, 21, faces a dozen charges — five counts each of aggravated assault and assault with a weapon, and single counts of dangerous driving and failing to stay at the scene of a crime.

He was arrested after an incident Saturday morning. At around 4:20 a.m., the RNC received a report that a vehicle was floating in the ocean off Pouch Cove. 

When officers arrived, they found a sedan in the water near the bottom of the community’s slipway.  

Five people were in the vehicle when it plunged into the water. All made it safely back to shore and were attended to by paramedics. 

Following a brief investigation, police determined there was an interaction with the driver of another vehicle before the sedan in went into the water. 

The Crown had asked Judge Harold Porter to postpone the bail hearing until tomorrow to allow prosecutors time to collect further information from the RNC. However, Porter was adamant that they begin today, noting it was unfair to have a person wait in jail for three days because the Crown wasn’t ready to proceed.

The hearing is expected to continue tomorrow.