Harassment charges stayed against P.E.I. oyster farmer in lieu of new trial

PEI The case of an Prince Edward Island oyster farmer accused of criminally harassing property owners near his lease will not be going to trial for a second time. Instead, he’s agreed to stay away from the people he was accused of harassing.Robbie Moore had previous conviction from 2 years ago overturned on appealNicola MacLeod · CBC News · Posted: Oct 24, 2025 5:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThursday, the Crown stayed a criminal harassment charge against Robbie Moore, pictured here for an unrelated story. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)The case of a Prince Edward Island oyster farmer accused of criminally harassing property owners near his lease will not go to trial for a second time.Robbie Moore’s 2023 conviction was overturned by the P.E.I. Court of Appeal in August and a new trial was ordered. On Thursday, Crown prosecutor John Diamond told the court that his office will not be proceeding with the new trial. Instead, Moore agreed to sign a peace bond — a protection order where he agrees to stay away from the property and its owners for one year. Moore signed the bond in front of a judge on Thursday, and the Crown stayed the harassment charge against him. Violating the terms of a peace bond can result in new charges.In Moore’s situation there is one caveat: he is allowed to have limited contact with the property owners for an ongoing civil lawsuit.Moore filed against his MacMillan Point-area neighbours last year, claiming damage to his oyster lease stemming from events in 2021.At the time, the property owner pleaded guilty to doing unauthorized work in a buffer zone, and paid the maximum fine of $3,000.The case attracted public attention and inspired legislative change. The fine has since been raised to a maximum of $50,000. ABOUT THE AUTHORNicola is a reporter and producer for CBC News in Prince Edward Island. She regularly covers the criminal justice system and also hosted the CBC podcast Good Question P.E.I. She grew up on the Island and is a graduate of St. Thomas University’s journalism program. Got a story? Email nicola.macleod@cbc.caNicola MacLeod on X