Details to be worked out for early resolution of assault case

Lawyers for the parents accused of assaulting their baby girl made a brief appearance Friday in Lethbridge court of justice where the Crown agreed to one more adjournment to iron out some final details.

Lethbridge lawyer Darcy Shurtz, who represents the father, told the court that he just needed to have a final conversation with the Crown to iron out some details regarding the Early Case Resolution (ECR) and asked for the matter to be adjourned to June 16, also hoping to come up with a day for sentencing by then.

Calgary lawyer John Oman, who represents the baby’s mother, told the court that even though a resolution has been submitted, he needed a little bit more time with his client for a plea.

For both cases, an agreed statement of facts will be read with pleas and both parents will appear via CCTV next time.

Police were called to a northside home on Jan. 18 to check on the welfare of the infant after receiving information she was being abused. Officers found the baby in medical distress, and EMS transported her to hospital where her injuries were found to be extensive and she was listed in critical condition.

Police reported the baby had been assaulted and sexually assaulted multiple times over the previous six weeks. The 52-year-old father is charged with aggravated assault, sexual assault, sexual contact with a child, and failure to provide the necessaries of life. The baby’s mother is also charged with failure to provide the necessaries of life.

Both parents, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of the child, remain in custody at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre and were not required to attend court Friday.

The matters for both accused are scheduled to return to court on June 16.

-with files from Delon Shurtz