Man facing arson charges will return to court next week
By Medicine Hat News on March 13, 2024.
@MedicineHatNews Medicine Hat News A Medicine Hat man being held in custody on arson charges has pleaded not guilty to one set of allegations while attorneys discuss the other, Court of Justice heard on Tuesday. Joseph Russell Haynes had his bail revoked earlier this year when police allege that he broke a 24-hour curfew at his residence in Crescent Heights by taking a family member’s car without permission. He plead guilty to those summary offences in late February, and was sentenced to time served but remained in custody. Medicine Hat Police laid two sets of arson charges against Haynes last summer, each about one month apart, after police investigated back alley fires that destroyed a travel trailer and badly damaged a garage. On one set, defence lawyer Vince Guinan entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of his client, and told court that he expects the need for a two-day trial. The date for which could be announced in early April, while the second set of charges, including two counts of arson, will return to Court of Justice next week after discussions between prosecutors and defence. 8-7
