Accused rejects resolution proposal, heads to trial

By Delon Shurtz on July 20, 2021.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A Lethbridge man who looked like he was going to resolve several criminal charges, has rejected a plan by his lawyer and the Crown prosecutor that could have avoided running trials.
The accused, Travis Roy Priest, had been considering with his lawyer a resolution proposal from the Crown in relation to an electrical substation break-in in 2019, and a break-in at a city pub last November. Priest was facing charges of shopbreaking to commit theft, mischief causing damage, drug possession, shopbreaking to commit mischief, possession of stolen property under $5,000 and possession of ID documents, in relation to both offences.
A three-day trial had been set to run in May for the pub break-in, but it was cancelled after a co-accused, Travis Robert Taylor, changed his mind and pleaded guilty to one count of shopbreaking to commit theft. He was sentenced to one year in jail, minus credit for time he spent in custody since his arrest.
During Taylor’s sentencing hearing, court was told Taylor drove a truck through the front door of Honker’s Pub and eatery at about 6 a.m. Nov. 29. He and another suspect then loaded an ATM into the truck and fled.
At the time of Taylor’s guilty plea, court was told Priest was considering a resolution proposal from the Crown, and his matter was adjourned.
Priest had also planned to resolve his charges relating to the substation break-in, and the Crown noted in May that a plan was in place to deal with the charges.
However, Friday in Lethbridge provincial court Lethbridge lawyer Wade Hlady said Priest was not interested in the plan, and trials will have to be set.
The matter is scheduled to return to court Aug. 20.

Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter