Bail hearing delayed for robbery suspect

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on October 31, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A Lethbridge man who was denied bail in June in Lethbridge court of justice, and has been waiting since then to see if a higher court judge will release him, will have to wait a little longer.

Jamie Gerald Bagu was scheduled for a detention review last week in Lethbridge Court of King’s Bench, but it was adjourned for a month to allow time for Calgary lawyer Katherin Beyak to obtain Bagu’s medical records from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, where the accused is currently in remand custody.

Bagu is charged with two counts each of robbery with a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, pointing a firearm, use of a firearm while committing an offence, and disguised with intent, and one count each of assault with a weapon and unsafe storage of a firearm.

The charges stem from incidents on March 17 and April 11, 2023 at CIBC in the 500 block of 13 Street North.

Police reported that in both cases a man entered the bank, pointed a firearm at employees and demanded money, then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. No one was injured during either robbery.

A vehicle with distinctive features was identified after it was recorded by a video surveillance camera leaving the area of the second robbery at a high rate of speed. Police later found the vehicle and identified a suspect.

Defence previously elected to proceed in King’s Bench with a judge and jury and preliminary hearing, but the matter has been delayed while defence files paperwork with the court.

Bagu is scheduled to return to court of justice on Wednesday to set a date for a pretrial conference to discuss the preliminary hearing, or to confirm that the pretrial conference has already been held and a date for the hearing set.

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