Manpleads not guilty to attempted murder

A 32-year-old Lethbridgeman charged with attemptedmurder after shots were fired at a westside home earlier this year has pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen charges.

Calgary lawyer RobinMcIntyre entered the pleas Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court on behalf of the accused, Robert John Sheppard, who appeared by closedcircuit TV from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre.

Sheppard also elected to be tried by a provincial court judge, and a threeor four-day trialmay be scheduled when the accused returns to court

Aug. 23.

Sheppard is charged with attempted murder, as well as assault with a weapon, discharging a firearm, resisting arrest, careless use/storage of a firearm, pointing a firearm, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, unauthorized possession of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm/weapon in a vehicle, possession of a firearm/weapon obtained by the commission of an offence and carrying a concealed weapon.

About 9 p.m. April 15 Lethbridge police responded to a 911 report of shots fired in a home in the 100 block ofHeritage BoulevardWest. Four people escaped fromthe home safely and the area was cordoned off as police attempted to find the suspect.

When the tactical team entered the

home, the individual had already fled, but RCMP officers found him at about 1:45 the followingmorning, and, after a police chase, he was arrested near Granum.

Court was told Thursday that three days will likely be needed for trial on the shooting-related charges, and one day on three unrelated charges of assault, sexual assault andmischief causing damage.

Sheppard also faces charges of sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault causing bodily harm, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, and two counts of possession of a weapon for the purpose of committing an offence. Those charges stem from an incident in 2016, and he is scheduled to stand trial on them in September in Court of Queen’s Bench.