Cash bail for man arrested in possession of stolen truck, snowmobile, merchandise

Five-hundred dollars cash bail was granted Thursday for a Medicine Hat man arrested while in possession of a stolen truck, snowmobile and accused of stealing from a dollar store in Brooks.

It’s alleged the Brooks RCMP received a call from a dollar store Jan. 29 over two individuals stealing items. They arrived after the suspects had fled but obtained a description of the suspects’ truck, which was carrying a snowmobile.

Shortly thereafter police received a call from a local farmer about a suspicious person looking around their property. A family member arrived at the residence around the same time and spoke with the suspect, not knowing police had been called. They helped pull the accused’s vehicle out from where it had been stuck.

Just as the vehicle was free and ready to leave, police arrived. The vehicle was stolen, as well as the attached snowmobile, while stolen items — including those from the dollar store — were found in the vehicle.

Karsten Alexander Bridgman, 27, is charged with driving while disqualified, two counts of possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, and two breaches of recognizance. Bail conditions for him include curfew, while his next appearance will be at the Brooks courthouse on March 14.

Bridgman’s co-accused, Shawn Matchett, 21, also had a court appearance Thursday. Matchett pled guilty to theft under for her involvement in the dollar store theft, and received 20 days time served for this.

Obstruction and breach

Obstruction and a curfew breach means a man serving weekends for sexual assault will have to serve straight time now.

Clayton Rae Imeson appeared by closed-circuit TV Thursday from Medicine Hat Remand to enter guilty pleas to charges that stem from Feb. 2, when he was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by police at 3:05 a.m. and gave police a false name.

He was on curfew at the time — stemming from sentencing conditions after pleading guilty Jan. 23 to sexually assaulting an unconscious woman by groping her breasts and videotaping it, and then breaching a no contact order with her.

He was given a 282-day sentence but due to time already spent in custody, had only 90 days left to serve — which the court had allowed him to serve on weekends.

He will now have to serve the remainder of this sentence, while the 45 additional days have been added to his time due to the obstruction and curfew breach charge.

Pot

Being found in possession of 27.7 grams of pot netted a Medicine Hat man a $200 fine — which the judge said was paid by his appearance in court Thursday.

The 50-year-old man was arrested by police after a complaint came in about a man being intoxicated, and police found the marijuana on him. The man said he was self-medicating — and is now working with a doctor for a proper prescription.

While the Crown requested a $400 fine, the judge instead noted that such an amount will soon be legal — and instead opted for a $200 fine, considered to have been paid by having attended court that day.

Trafficking

It was a brief court appearance for one of four people charged following a January investigation into meth trafficking that led to the seizure of three firearms.

Lane Hogg, 34, appeared by closed-circuit TV Thursday from Medicine Hat Remand, with his counsel requesting adjournment to Feb. 22, as they work on a release plan to present during a bail hearing.

Hogg is with four counts of drug trafficking, meth possession, trafficking a firearm, trafficking ammunition, possessing the proceeds of crime, two counts of breaching a weapons prohibition and nine other firearms-related offences.