Murder suspect makes first court appearance

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on January 4, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A Lethbridge man accused of stabbing his wife to death two days after Christmas made his first appearance in Lethbridge provincial court Tuesday.

David Albert Dragland, who attended court by CCTV from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, was represented by duty counsel, who simply asked to adjourn the matter for a week and told court the accused is in the process of hiring a lawyer.

At about 11 p.m. on Dec. 27 police responded to a disturbance involving a man and woman at a home in the 2500 block of 13 Avenue North.

When police arrived a man walked out of the home and was arrested without incident. Police found a critically injured woman inside the home and began life-saving procedures until EMS arrived and took over. The 59-year-old victim, identified as Shelley Dragland, sustained multiple stab wounds and died at the scene.

Police determined the couple had been seated together in the home when the man grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed the victim several times.

Dragland, 59, is charged with one count of first degree murder, which, upon conviction, carries a mandatory sentence of imprisonment for life, with parole eligibility after 25 years.

The accused will remain in remand custody, at least until he has hired a lawyer and has a bail hearing in Court of King’s Bench.

“Given the nature of the charge, Mr. Dragland is not eligible for interim judicial release in this particular court,” Crown Prosecutor James Rouleau pointed out. “Certainly, given the charge, we’re hopeful that counsel will be on board as soon as possible.”

During a news conference last week, police said they were still investigating the motivation behind the attack, and assured residents their safety is not at risk.

Lethbridge’s only other homicide in 2022 occurred on May 5 after 44-year-old Amber Bahadur Khadka was approached by a man near the intersection of 8 Street and 2 Avenue North. During an argument, the man struck Khadka, knocking him down and causing him to strike his head on the ground. The assailant left the area, but was found by police and arrested later in the day.

Sheldon Nicholas LePage, 45, of Lethbridge was charged with manslaughter in that case.

LePage, who remains in custody and has elected to be tried by a Court of King’s Bench judge, was last in court on Dec. 16, when his lawyer asked to be removed as counsel. LePage is also scheduled for a preliminary hearing in April, but the hearing may have to be adjourned if his new lawyer is unavailable.

LePage’s next court hearing is set for Friday.

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