Fatal collision case adjourned for month

By Delon Shurtz on November 20, 2020.

The lawyer for a Lethbridge man charged inÊconnection with a fatal car collision last year, has been granted an adjournment for another month.

The adjournment to Dec. 17 was granted Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court after the judge was told the lawyer representing Wesley Brian Phillips needs more time to review disclosure.

Phillips, 37, is charged with failure or refusal to comply with a breath demand resulting from a collision causing death, impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death, and failure to comply with a probation order.

The charges stem from a collision about 7:15 p.m. Nov. 25, 2019, when a white VW Jetta westbound on Highway 3 collided with a red Ford Escape that was stopped at a stop sign on 51 Avenue in the town of Coalhurst where it intersects with the highway.

Betty Ment, 66, the lone occupant of the Ford, died in the collision. The driver of the VW was taken to Chinook Regional Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Phillips was released from custody shortly after he was charged, then re-arrested in February on outstanding warrants from Airdrie where he faces charges of unlawfully being in a dwelling and numerous breaches. He was released again in March on $3,000 no-cash bail and ordered to keep the peace, reside at an approved residence, abstain from alcohol and drugs, not possess any weapons, and obey a nightly curfew.

The accused disappeared again while on bail, but was re-arrested in September.

A warrant was issued for Phillips in June after authorities lost track of the accused because he was not living at the residence at which he had previously been ordered to reside. One of PhillipsÕ bail conditions was to reside at the northside residence, but the owners, who had not been consulted beforehand, refused to let him stay and police were called to remove him.

Only a few hours later the accused was arrested following a disturbance at a city liquor store, but the bail office released him without dealing with his previous bail condition concerning his living arrangements.

Phillips, who remains in custody, is also charged with mischief over $5,000, assault, failing to comply with previous release conditions, failing to comply with a probation order and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm. Those charges stem from the disturbance at the liquor store.

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