Break-in suspect to spend holidays in jail

By Delon Shurtz on December 23, 2020.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A Lethbridge man accused of breaking into a city pub last month will have to spend the Christmas holidays in custody.
Travis Robert Taylor, who is remanded at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, hopes he’ll be released from custody early in the new year. His matter was in Lethbridge provincial court Tuesday, but his lawyer said he wasn’t prepared to run a bail hearing and the case was adjourned to Jan. 6.
Although Taylor will seek his freedom on that date, the Crown is opposed to his release. Crown Prosecutor Bruce Ainscough said he also plans to apply to revoke Taylor’s bail on other charges.
Taylor, 30, is charged with break and enter, breach of undertaking and mischief to property.
The charges stem from a break-in Nov. 29 at Honker’s Pub and Eatery on the northside, where two men drove a small truck through the front window and stole an ATM from inside the business.
On Dec. 3 Lethbridge police officers searched a residence in the 2700 block of 7 Avenue North, and found evidence relating to the break-in.
Travis Roy Priest was also charged in connection with the incident and faces single counts of break and enter and drug possession. Priest, 31, also faces charges of shopbreaking to commit theft, shopbreaking to commit mischief, possession of stolen property under $5,000 and possession of ID documents relating to offences more than a year ago.
The charges stem from a break-in April 28, 2019 at an electrical substation in the 3500 block of 25 Street West. Police said the suspects damaged the lock on the entry door, and once inside damaged a significant amount of equipment to get at the copper wire inside.
Spools of copper wire and various pieces of equipment, including a laser level, network connector and battery charge pack, were stolen, and a transformer worth $250,000 and a grounding cart unit worth $25,000 were damaged. Damages totalled $300,000, while the stolen copper and equipment are worth $6,500.
The following day police responded to a report of suspicious activity at a home in the 2700 block of 7 Avenue North after people were seen transferring copper wire from a vehicle into a garage. Police later searched the property and recovered stolen items, including some items from the substation.
Priest is scheduled to stand trial on the break-in on Jan. 5.

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