High-profile legionnaire apologizes following profanity-laced outburst at Carbonear, N.L., wedding reception
Bride was about to throw her wedding bouquet when Berkley Lawrence erupted
A high-profile legionnaire is apologizing and pondering his future with this century-old veteran support and community service organization following an angry outburst at a wedding reception in Carbonear, N.L., earlier this month.
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legionnaire → apologize → Carbonear
The Oct. 3 wedding reception at Legion Branch 23 for newlyweds Justin and Janell Clarke came to an abrupt end after Berkley Lawrence, who was the top legionnaire in Canada until this summer, lost his temper and angrily confronted the bride and other members of the wedding party.
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who → come → party
The bride said she was afraid and humiliated, and described Lawrence's behaviour as "aggressive, erratic, unprofessional and very, very disrespectful.”
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she → say → behaviour
When contacted Friday by CBC News, Lawrence admitted he crossed the line.
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he → contact → line
“I handled it completely wrong.
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I → handle → it
I lost control of my emotions.
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I → lose → emotions
I swore at her, I swore at a few other people that tried to calm me down.
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that → swear → me
I was loud, and it was not a good scene," Lawrence said by telephone.
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Lawrence → say → telephone
Not a happy day
Clarke said Lawrence ruined her wedding day, and the days that followed the incident.
“We cannot look back on that day now and say that was a great day.
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that → say → day
When we look back on that day now, we don't look back on a happy day.
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we → look → day
The only thing I look back on when I think of that night was an unfamiliar man charging [at me] and verbally assaulting me.
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I → look → me
Justin and Janell Clarke pose with their dog after exchanging wedding vows on Oct. 3.
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Clarke → pose → Oct.
Their dream wedding day ended on a sour note, however, following an angry outburst by a high-profile member of the Carbonear Legion during the couple's wedding reception.
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day → end → reception
He served in the army for 33 years, has played leading roles at Branch 23 for more than two decades, and two years ago he was a key figure in the establishment of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the war memorial in St. John's.
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he → serve → John
On the night of the wedding reception, Lawrence was attending a separate event at the Legion, and said he drank about five beer.
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he → attend → beer
As he left, he witnessed people outside the building holding alcoholic beverages, which is not permitted.
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which → leave → beverages
Lawrence was worried that liquor corporation inspectors or police officers might witness the behaviour, and that the Legion might lose its licence to sell beer and alcohol.
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Legion → worry → beer
He said the branch has long struggled to stay within the rules of its licence.
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branch → say → licence
"People treat us … like a private club and [believe] they can do whatever they want," said Lawrence.
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Lawrence → treat → whatever
'He just kept screaming'
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He → keep → ?
He admitted he lost his cool, stormed back into the Legion, and came face-to-face with the bride, just as she was about to perform the traditional newlywed ritual: the throwing of the bouquet.
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she → admit → bouquet
"He never did say what it was about.
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it → say → what
He just kept screaming," said Clarke, adding she was unaware that guests were drinking alcohol outside the building.
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guests → keep → building
For about a minute, Lawrence shouted profanities, angrily pointed his finger at the bride and others, and threatened to shut down the party.
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Lawrence → shout → party
Lawrence left after another legionnaire intervened.
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legionnaire → leave → ?
Clarke said she was too shaken to carry on, and never tossed the bouquet.
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she → say → bouquet
The party, she said, fizzled out.
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she → say → ?
“I was, as you can imagine, crying and humiliated in front of all my wedding guests," she said.
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she → imagine → guests
Oct. 3 started out as expected for the couple.
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Oct. → start → couple
They exchanged vows at a church in nearby Salmon Cove, and then hosted about 100 people at the Legion.
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They → exchange → Legion
'Ruined my life'
The decorations were elaborate, the meals were tasty, and the dance floor was hopping for most of the evening.
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floor → ruin → evening
But the fun ended abruptly with Lawrence's outburst just before midnight.
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fun → end → midnight
On Thursday night, Clarke told her story on Facebook, with her post shared nearly 600 times as of Friday afternoon.
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post → tell → afternoon
The wedding reception at the Carbonear Legion on Oct. 3 for Justin and Janell Clarke ended early following an outburst by Legion member Berkley Lawrence.
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reception → end → Lawrence
As a result, Janell Clarke did not get to throw her wedding bouquet.
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Clarke → get → bouquet
On Friday morning, she received a letter of apology from Lawrence.
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she → receive → Lawrence
“All I can do is apologize to everybody involved in the situation, to the bride, to the groom, to the people upstairs, to my Legion, to my wife.
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I → do → wife
It's not the way I behave normally.
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I → behave → ?
This incident has absolutely ruined my life," said Lawrence.
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Lawrence → ruin → life
Five people, including Clarke, who witnessed the incident, wrote letters to the Legion executive.
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who → include → executive
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
