Teen back in custody after release ‘surprised’ judge

Youth guilty of asking undercover officers to kill girlfriend’s husband

A youth convicted of counselling undercover RCMP officers to kill his girlfriend’s husband is back in custody after briefly being on the run.

On March 7, the 18-yearold wasn’t in court when he was convicted on the charge. He watched his trial from the prisoner’s box while held on unrelated charges, but was released while Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Donna Read took a week to consider her decision.

His release came as a surprise to Read, who issued a warrant for his arrest when he failed to return to court.

“I’m surprised he was released. Hindsight is 20/20, but that should not have happened.”

On Monday, the teen was back in an Edmonton courtroom after being arrested in Calgary last week. He faces nine new charges, including failure to attend court and multiple breaches of his conditions.

The teen counselled the undercover RCMP officers while the target of a 2012 sting in which police posed as a criminal gang that wanted to recruit him. Officers investigating the killings of Strathcona County residents Barry Boenke and Sue Trudel told the teen he needed to admit past crimes to them to earn the trust of their gang. The teen was eventually charged and acquitted of those killings.

During the sting, the teen asked officers if they could kill his older girlfriend’s husband to clear the way for their relationship.

His girlfriend now faces a charge of sexual exploitation.

The teen’s lawyer, Mona Duckett, has told court she plans to argue that the case against her client was entrapment.

The teen cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.