Preliminary hearing on murder charge cancelled

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on April 6, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A preliminary hearing scheduled next week for a Lethbridge man accused of murder has been cancelled while the accused retains a new lawyer.
The five-day preliminary hearing for Jade Levi Trotter was scheduled to begin next Monday in Lethbridge provincial court, but it was cancelled Tuesday to allow the new lawyer, Andrea Urquhart of Calgary, to be appointed by Legal Aid.
The accused’s original lawyer, Gloria Froese, was permitted to withdraw during a previous hearing because of “personal reasons,” and Urquhart was hoping to go on the record Tuesday. However, Urquhart said she is still waiting to be retained and will not be able to proceed with the preliminary inquiry.
A preliminary hearing is typically held to determine if there is enough evidence to warrant a trial.
Trotter, who remains in custody at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre and attended court by closed-circuit TV, is charged with one count each of second-degree murder and break and enter.
Police, responding to a call Feb. 8 that someone was screaming for help, arrived at an apartment building in the 1200 block of 4 Avenue South and found the body of 65-year-old Glenn Lofthouse. Police arrested Trotter the following day at a residence in the 1100 block of 11 Street South.
Police said the suspect and victim knew each other, and the alleged murder was over a property dispute. Police also recovered a weapon they believe was used to kill Lofthouse.
Trotter’s matter is set to return to court April 13 to determine whether Urquhart has been retained, and to set a date for a new preliminary hearing.

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