Murder accused can’t plea before seeing statement of facts

By COLLIN GALLANT on February 19, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

A Medicine Hat man accused of killing his domestic partner will have to see the basics of the case against him before he can enter a plea.

Timothy Ray Faulkner, 55, was arrested last fall and charged with second-degree murder after police found the body of Corrine Schneider at the couple’s Third Street apartment.

He is representing himself without other legal counsel, and told an arrangement hearing at Court of Queen’s Bench in Medicine Hat on Friday he would like to resolve the case as soon as possible.

For the second time in as many court appearances he indicated he planned to plead guilty, and didn’t need to wait until next week for Crown prosecutors to provide evidence and an overview of the case against him.

“I don’t think I need that disclosure,” Faulkner told Justice Charlene S. Anderson via closed-circuit TV broadcast from the Medicine Hat Remand Centre.

The justice however, told him, at minimum, he would need to be apprised of an agreed statement of facts before the plea could be registered or a sentence hearing date set.

“You will need to see an agreed statement of facts, because that will have an effect on what happens (next),” said Anderson. “The charges are serious, so we’ll put this over.”

Crown prosecutor Ryan Anstey told the court his office would be able to produce the disclosure file and an agreed statement of facts to Faulkner late next week.

The adjournment will see the matter next dealt with March 18.

Friday’s arraignment hearing was Faulkner’s first appearance in Court of Queen’s Bench. Only that venue can accept pleas in most serious and federal criminal matters.

Second-degree murder is punishable with a minimum sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years, and a maximum of 25 years without chance of parole.

Bail plan for Belyea

Deborah Belyea remains in custody while facing charges of killing her husband last October after a release plan collapsed, her attorney told a detention review hearing Friday.

Defence lawyer Katherine Beyak told Court of Queens Bench justice terms haven’t been met of a bail plan worked out before Christmas that would see the 69-year-old Suffield woman, who requires the use of an oxygen tank, confined 24 hours per day to an assisted-living facility.

As such the review was adjourned. Belyea’s matters will next be dealt with in Queen’s Bench on March 18.