Cape Breton man charged following emergency alert has serious criminal record

A Cape Breton man who was the subject of an emergency alert earlier this week, and is facing charges including arson, uttering threats and firearms offences, has a serious criminal record.

Kenneth Scott MacPhee, 53, was convicted of second-degree murder in 1991 and spent 25 years in the federalpenitentiary in Dorchester, N.B.

According to court records, MacPhee was involved in the strangulation of a 68-year-old man near Sydney.

He was granted full parole in 2016 and does not appear to have any further record of criminal activity.

Cape Breton regional police issued an emergency alert early Wednesday for MacPhee, saying he was believed to be armed and had threatened individuals known to him.

The alert was cancelled later that morning after MacPhee was arrested in a rural area near the border between CBRM and Richmond County.

Home burned down

According to court records, MacPheeis alleged to have burned down a home and uttered threats to hurt or kill a person in another part of rural CBRM.

Police say when he was arrested, MacPhee was found with a fire accelerant and a .22-calibre rifle and ammunition, which he was not licensed to carry.

He is now facing a total of eight charges, including arson, threat to cause death or bodily harm, threat to damage property, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and careless use of a firearm and ammunition.

Court records show MacPhee's parole has been suspended and he has been remanded to federal custody.

He is due back in court next month.