Bail granted for man whose Stampede drunk-driving fiasco was followed by court breaches

By Jeremy Appel on August 2, 2018.

jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel

A man accused of driving his car into a house while impaired during last year’s Stampede was granted $2,500 cash bail for three sets of breaches under the condition he receive treatment for alcoholism.

Trent Holden Collier appeared Wednesday in Medicine Hat Provincial Court via closed-circuit TV from the Medicine Hat Remand Centre.

The first breach is a charge of driving while disqualified that stems from the incident at the Stampede on July 29, 2017, when police found a brown 2013 Ford Explorer that had driven into the brick wall of a house on Ross Glen Boulevard.

He had been prohibited from driving for three years as the result of a previous impaired driving conviction from 2015.

The second set of breaches occurred Feb. 20 of this year, when he was charged with one count of breaching the conditions of release and two charges of driving when disqualified, after police pulled Collier over when he was out past his court-ordered curfew.

Defence lawyer Ali Aziz said there was a Charter issue with his statement to the police after this incident, but declined to elaborate before trial.

“I don’t want to get into too many details on the strength or weakness of the Crown’s case,” said Aziz.

Collier was charged with a set of four additional breaches on July 11, 2018, when he wasn’t at home during curfew.

Aziz said his client wasn’t home due to work, which is permitted under the conditions of Collier’s release.

“Even if you weren’t at the residence for work purposes, the burden is on you (to notify authorities),” said Judge G.R. DeBow.

Aziz presented his release plan for Collier to the court.

He will attend South Country Treatment, where he’s already applied and been accepted, starting Aug. 16, in addition to abiding by an 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and paying $2,500 cash bail.

“If he’s going to treatment, I’m interested,” Debow said before granting Collier’s bail.

Bail hearing today for accused charged with 27 offences

Hailey K. Morrison has her bail hearing scheduled today in Medicine Hat Provincial Court.

Morrison, 24, who made a brief appearance via CCTV on Wednesday, is charged with 27 offences stemming from two incidents, including three charges of break-and-enter, two of unlawfully pointing a firearm, two of property mischief and six of possessing stolen property.

She’s represented by defence lawyer Bradley Bellmore.

Since Morrison was arrested while out on bail, the burden is on the offence to justify her release this time.

The Crown elected to proceed by indictment, which means she is facing the possibility of significant time in prison and will be tried by judge and jury.

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