By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on September 9, 2023.
https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews A Brooks man accused of second-degree murder last year is still awaiting a hearing to determine if he can be held criminally responsible. Mat Bangoang Choap, 36, was arrested at the scene in June 2022 by RCMP officers in Brooks after they discovered the body of a woman in an apartment complex. Choap was found unresponsive in a holding cell several days later and was airlifted to hospital in Calgary. That undisclosed medical issue caused the adjournment of his first appearance on the charge. On Friday, defence attorney Marc Crarer told Court of King’s Bench in Medicine Hat that his client is third in line out of 20 people in the provincial court system who are waiting for the examination process to get underway. The matter in court had been adjourned in August after defence made the request for a hearing to determine Choap’s mental fitness to stand trial. This week the adjournment was extended for an additional 30 days, which would put the issue back before the court in early November due to King’s Bench scheduling. 8