Judge commits Robison for trial
CAMROSE — Sawyer Robison will stand trial on charges of attempted murder of two RCMP officers, a provincial judge decided Friday.
Robison, 28, is charged with the attempted murder of Const. Sheldon Shah and Const. Sid Gaudette after a standoff on his family farm near Killam on Feb. 7, 2012. Robison’s uncle, Bradford Clarke, died during the shootout in the home.
That day, four officers tried to execute a search warrant for a handgun on the farm, about 160 kilometres southeast of Edmonton. Shah and Gaudette were both shot when they walked into a house on the farm property, but made it back outside.
A preliminary hearing in the case to determine if there was enough evidence to proceed concluded in October. Provincial court Judge David Plosz took several weeks to consider that evidence, which is under a court-ordered publication ban.
In a Camrose courtroom on Friday, the judge committed Robison to stand trial on all 14 charges he currently faces. There is also a publication ban on the judge’s reasons for committing Robison for trial.
Outside the courtroom, defence lawyer Brian Beresh said he was disappointed with the decision but vowed that “the fight will continue.” He said it could be years before the case reaches trial, but Robison is looking forward to proving his innocence.
“He has a lot of courage and a lot of faith in the system,” Beresh said.
The decision is not an indication of guilt, Beresh pointed out.
Robison, who is free on bail, had a crowd of supporters in the Camrose courtroom. Many of them hugged him after the decision.
Crown prosecutor Rod Clark was pleased with the judge’s decision.
“A very experienced judge made what I thought was a very sound decision,” Clark said. “He obviously disagreed with Mr. Beresh on the evidence.”
Robison also faces several weapons charges, including possession of a prohibited, loaded, restricted firearm and possession of a firearm with altered or defaced serial numbers.
He was also once charged with the second-degree murder of his uncle, a charge laid eight months after the shootout. In October, that charge was dropped by the prosecution at the end of his preliminary hearing because they believed there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction.
The new evidence given to prosecutors by RCMP that resulted in the dropped charge has not been publicly disclosed.
After the shootings, Robison was on the run from police for several days before he was captured. He has been granted bail, only to have it revoked and granted again, in the nearly two years since the incident.
Gaudette was shot once in the torso, while Shah was shot in the leg, groin and upper torso. They each spent about a week in hospital.
A trial date has not yet been scheduled.