Suspect in armed robbery hopes to be released on bail

One of several masked and armed men who burst into a motel room in a home-invasion-style robbery late last year may ask a judge to release him from custody when he returns to court next week.

Marvin Blake Weasel Head of the Blood

Reserve made a brief appearance Wednesday in Lethbridge court of justice, but his matter was simply adjourned until Monday, ostensibly for a bail hearing.

Lethbridge lawyer Ingrid Hess told court she needs time to review a significant amount of disclosure. She also noted the Crown is opposed to her client’s release.

Weasel Head, who appeared in court by CCTV from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, is charged with housebreaking to commit robbery, use of an imitation firearm to commit an offence, sexual assault, kidnapping, robbery, assault with a weapon, disguised while committing an offence, extortion and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.

The charges stem from an incident on Oct. 30 of last year when a man and woman were robbed at gunpoint in a hotel room.

Police reported several masked men forced their way into the hotel room, demanded money and tied up their victims.

An undisclosed amount of money was e-transferred from the male victim before he was forced into a cab and taken to a nearby bank. Police said the suspects assaulted both victims and stole some of their property before fleeing.

Fabian Leon Chief Body-Beebe of the Blood Reserve, Deaken Daychief and Adam Eric Sebok of Lethbridge, and Charles William Good Striker of Calgary were also similarly charged. Daychief previously elected to be tried by a Court of King’s Bench judge and jury, and is expected to have a preliminary hearing.

Good Striker pleaded guilty last month to a single charge of housebreaking to commit robbery and was sentenced to four years in prison.

During Good Striker’s sentencing hearing March 15 court was told the victims were living in the Super Lodge motel on Mayor Magrath and 7 Street South and heard a knock on the door. When the man answered the door he expected to see his brother-in-law, Chief Body-Beebe, but it was Good Striker and two men, all of whom were wearing masks and demanded money.

The man, court was told, had recently received $60,000 from his mother.

Two of the men were armed with handguns, later identified as BB guns, and tied the victims with rope and duct tape, and demanded the man’s cell phone password.

“(The man)was punched in the face, a hot clothes iron was held near the back of his head, they threatened to break his big toe, they threatened to harm (the woman) if he did not give them his phone password and bank PIN,” Crown Prosecutor Michael Fox told court.

The man gave his information to the intruders, and Goodstriker or one of the other men made e-transfers on the phone.

When they reached the limit permitted by the bank, they forced their victim to call the bank to increase the limit.

When they reached the new limit, one of the intruders forced the victim to accompany him to the bank to withdraw more money from the ATM, but additional withdrawals were declined.

Following the failed attempt to withdraw more money, the two men returned to the motel, where the victims were untied and the assailants left, taking some of the man’s property with them.