Bail denied again for man accused in drug, firearms charges

By Peggy Revell on June 29, 2018.

prevell@medicinehatnews.com @MHNprevell

Bail was once again denied Thursday at a Medicine Hat Court of Queen’s Bench bail review to a man facing serious drug trafficking and firearm charges.

Justice Rodney Jerke agreed with the Federal Crown at the hearing, and re-affirmed an April 2017 decision by a provincial court judge to deny bail to Aaron Grant Hotchen.

As part of the appeal, defence counsel proposed a new release plan that included employment with a construction company, a family member acting as a no-cash surety for $3,500 and living at a residence with someone not associated with criminal activity.

Hotchen is headed to trial Sept. 20-21 for charges stemming from an arrest where police seized 141 grams of meth following a search of his vehicle in Bassano in the summer of 2016. This will be followed by a two-week trial from Nov. 28 to Dec. 7 following his arrest at a rural home near Seven Persons in Oct. 2016. In this instance, police seized 49 grams of meth, small amounts of cocaine, heroin and an unknown white powder. A loaded sawed-off shotgun was also seized, despite Hotchen having a lifetime weapons prohibition.

Hotchen entered guilty pleas in November 2017 to the charges.

While charges were laid almost two years ago, multiple delays have occurred. In October 2017, Hotchen entered guilty pleas and was granted several weeks release until sentencing to put his affairs in order. He was re-arrested on a breach, and proceeded to fire his lawyer before successfully appealing to have his guilty pleas withdrawn.

Bail granted

Conversely, Justice Jerke granted bail to another man accused of drug trafficking in connection to the first appearance of “purple meth” in the Hat, following a separate review.

Wayne Arthur Shrubsall is serving a federal sentence of two-and-a-half years in Saskatchewan for drug trafficking charges over a cross-border police investigation in Dec. 2014, but has a trial with a co-accused set for Sept. 6, 27 and 28 on other trafficking charges.

The court heard that Shrubsall will be eligible for parole July 7, with defence counsel explaining that while in custody the accused has been accessing counselling and supports to deal with issues such as addiction.

With these changes in circumstances, Jerke granted bail on the charges now awaiting trial, with release conditions to match parole conditions.

Shrubsall and his co-accused Joshua Munroe were arrested on meth, cocaine and fentanyl trafficking charges in August 2016 following an ALERT investigation. In September 2017, the Crown laid the additional charges against the pair, including conspiracy to traffic.

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