Named defendants in the suit are the RCMP, RCMP Constable Peter Marshall, NB Power — whose calls to have an RCMP officer accompany a utility employee when the power to the grow-op was disconnected kicked off the RCMP investigation and subsequent raid — and NB Power employee Trevor Smith.
In its statement of claim, the four men argue that over several months, NB Power staff had accessed the property’s power meter inside the building,. Pointing out that Jeremy Barton lived in the building, the suit maintains the agreement was that the utility would provide notice before entering the property to read the meter, but that was allegedly breached in January 2019.
When the police officer and NB Power employee arrived on the scene, the RCMP alleges Barton became irate and locked the door each time he left the building.