Local woman facing similar charges that saw her imprisoned in 2019

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on June 7, 2023.

https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

A Medicine Hat woman convicted of torturing a woman four years ago has been charged with a new similar offence, the News has learned.

Theresa Louise Babitzke, 59, was charged in 2018 and subsequently pled guilty to forcible confinement after police said she and two others tied a woman to a chair and assaulted her over a perceived drug debt.

On Tuesday, Medicine Hat Court of Justice heard that Babitzke faces new charges of kidnapping, unlawful confinement and threats to cause bodily harm (two each), along with single counts of robbery, assault and assault with a weapon.

Another man, Ronald William Stickel, faces single charges of kidnapping, confinement, robbery and assault.

Duty counsel informed court Stickel was in custody but unable to appear for his first appearance Tuesday. His matter was adjourned to June 8.

Prosecutors stated they consider the charges to be indictable offences, and told the court the intention is to keep the schedules of the related cases similar.

Defence attorney Greg White appeared Tuesday on Babitzke’s behalf.

He said his client was in custody at Medicine Hat Remand Centre, but he had little information about the allegations. Her matter was adjourned to June 15.

In the fall of 2019, Babitzke was sentenced to serve a total of five years in prison after pleading guilty on the confinement case and a separate drug trafficking charges that occurred while she awaited trial.

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