Man pleads not guilty to charges stemming from alleged hatchet attack and break-in
Not-guilty pleas were entered Tuesday by one of two people arrested following reports of a hatchet attack and break-and-enter in October.
Defence counsel for the 34year-old man set the trial down for March 26, with the man to remain in custody as he was denied bail last week by a provincial judge.
The man’s co-accused pled guilty last week to the incident where police were called to the downtown area after reports of a hatchet attack allegedly involving the pair who had fled the scene. Police then responded to an apartment building where they were allegedly arguing with residents and causing damage before successfully gaining access to the building.
Steven Fontaine is charged with housebreaking with intent, assault with a weapon, two counts of mischief causing damage under $5,000, and three breaches of his release conditions.
Meat theft
A 52-year-old grandpa was fined $500 after pleading guilty to shoplifting more than $250 in meat from a local grocery store to feed a drug habit.
The incident occurred in March of this year, with the man filling a shopping cart with meat and a block of cheese at the Safeway at the Medicine Hat Mall, covering the items with a hoodie, then proceeding to walk out into the mall.
The man admitted to stealing such a large quantity of meat in order to resell it, said duty counsel, who represented him Tuesday at the Medicine Hat Courthouse, with plans to use those funds to purchase drugs to feed his addiction.
The man has been sober for three months, duty counsel added, with plans to stay on that track. A preliminary hearing date of April 30 has been set for one man arrested during Medicine Hat police’s “Operation Suppression” in September, a month-long project focused on street-level drug trafficking that led to several arrests.
Counsel set down the date Tuesday for Jason Claude Tremblay, who was charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine, proceeds of crime and breach of probation. His next court appearance is set for Nov. 30.
Date change
The preliminary hearing date for a Medicine Hat man charged with trafficking heroin, meth, fentanyl and carfentanil has been changed to an earlier date.
Counsel for Levi Aebig moved forward the hearing from June 15 to April 11.
Not-guilty pleas were entered by Aebig on Oct. 26, opting for a trial by a Court of Queen’s Bench judge and jury. Aebig remains in custody, having been denied bail.