Assessment being conducted after charges laid
By Delon Shurtz on January 13, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgherald.com A 32-year-old man charged last week with weapons and other offences has agreed to have a psychiatric assessment conducted over the next 30 days.“Totally agreeable, yup,” Bradley Peter Badura said Tuesday during a hearing in Lethbridge provincial court.
Badura, who is in quarantine at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre and spoke to court by phone, said he believes he is suffering from some mental health issues. He told the judge he wanted a new lawyer, then requested duty counsel assist him with Tuesday’s hearing.
Badura had hoped to have a bail hearing, but the Crown opposed his release and said he will also apply to revoke Badura’s release on previous, unrelated charges.
At about 9:30 p.m. last Thursday, police responded to reports of a man who had smashed a window above The Lethbridge Herald pressroom. Subsequent reports indicated the suspect had also threatened the driver of a vehicle with a knife.
Police said they found a highly-agitated man holding a knife in each hand while standing in the median of 6 Avenue and 6 Street South. Police eventually convinced him to drop the knives and he was taken into custody without further incident.
Badura, of no fixed address, has been charged with possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, assault with a weapon, mischief, drug possession, and three counts of failing to comply with conditions of a release order.
His next court hearing is scheduled for Feb. 11 to allow time for the assessment at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre in Calgary. The assessment, under Section 672 of the Criminal Code, is to determine whether the accused is unfit to stand trial or was, at the time of the commission of the alleged offences, suffering from a mental disorder so as to be exempt from criminal responsibility.
Badura also faces charges of threats to cause death, mischief, resisting a peace officer, assaulting a peace officer, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, possession of stolen property over $5,000, and failure to comply with release conditions. The charges are unrelated to Thursday’s incidents. Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter 4
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