Sentencing hearing for taxi robber adjourned

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on January 19, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A sentencing hearing for a 33-year-old woman who robbed a taxi driver more than two years ago, has been adjourned for a month so the accused can be assessed for a pre-sentence report.
The report had been ordered last October after Kimberlie Rose Eagle Speaker pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and theft of a motor vehicle, stemming from a violent incident in Lethbridge in 2019. The woman was scheduled for a sentencing hearing Tuesday in Lethbridge provincial court, but the matter was adjourned to Feb. 15 to allow more time for the report to be completed.
A pre-sentence report provides information about an accused’s background, including family, education, employment and mental or physical issues, that may help the judge determine a fit sentence.
On Nov. 11, 2019 a taxi driver picked up Eagle Speaker and another woman from a convenience store on 13 Street North about 7:40 a.m. and was told to drive to a northside residence. However, as they approached their destination, Eagle Speaker, who was sitting in the front seat, pulled out a knife and demanded money.
The driver stopped and eventually managed to flee, but not before Eagle Speaker cut him with the knife during a struggle.
The women made off with $35, a $600 tablet and $500 cellphone.
About an hour later police noticed a woman standing on 5 Avenue North, who asked the officer why there were police cars in the area. The woman, who appeared to be dope sick, matched the description of the taxi robber and was arrested and taken to the police station.
Shortly afterward an officer stopped a motor vehicle, and determined the passenger was the other woman involved in the robbery. She was arrested and eventually confessed to police. She told police that after Eagle Speaker sped away in the taxi, she became frightened and ran from the vehicle when Eagle Speaker stopped shortly afterward.
Eagle Speaker’s sister, Jessica Mae Eagle Speaker, was charged, as well, and was scheduled to stand trial earlier this month on charges of robbery, uttering threats, theft of a motor vehicle and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. However, the Crown didn’t call any evidence and the matter was dismissed.

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