Failing to show for intermittent weekend sentence lands man in jail full time
By JEREMY APPEL on May 23, 2019.
jappel@medicinehatnews.com
A man in the midst of a six-month intermittent sentence on weekends for his role in the unlawful confinement of a woman has been remanded after allegedly twice failing to show up to jail.
Matthew Babitzke appeared in provincial court Wednesday via closed-circuit TV from the Medicine Hat Remand Centre.
In addition to two unlawfully at large charges, Babitzke faces one count each of failure to appear in court and possessing a controlled substance.
Since he’s in the process of serving his sentence on weekends, only his weekdays in custody will count toward time served in the event he’s found guilty.
These matters were adjourned to May 30 to give him time to speak with his lawyer, Robert Robbenhaar.
Babitzke was one of three people arrested in an October 2018 incident where a woman was forcibly confined to a house in the city’s southeast, beaten, robbed and extorted.
Court heard at his April sentencing that he arrived to the scene of the crime relatively late and untied the victim after she was able to quickly dial 911.
His mother – Theresa – was one co-accused. She pled guilty to possessing methamphetamine for the purposes of trafficking and unlawful confinement in relation to that incident.
Theresa is scheduled to be sentenced May 30.
The third co-accused – Amanda Kaye – is set to go on trial for her charges of robbery, unlawful confinement, extortion and assault with a weapon, with a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 24 – a year to the day of their arrest.
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