Preliminary hearing likely postponed for murder case
By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on March 25, 2022.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com A preliminary hearing scheduled next month for a Lethbridge man accused of murder will likely not go ahead as planned.Jade Levi Trotter is scheduled to have a preliminary inquiry April 11-14, but during a hearing Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court, Calgary lawyer Andrea Urquhart said the matter will need to be adjourned if she is to represent the accused.
Trotter was represented by Calgary lawyer Gloria Froese, but Urquhart explained Froese is unable to continue representing the accused because of health issues. She said another lawyer was planning to replace Froese, but he is unable to, as well. Urquhart said if she is retained by Legal Aid to represent Trotter, she won’t have time to get up to speed on the case and prepare for the hearing, which is set to begin in less than three weeks.
A preliminary hearing is typically held to determine if there is enough evidence to warrant a trial.
Trotter, who remains in custody at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre and attended court by closed-circuit TV, is charged with one count each of second-degree murder and break and enter.
Police, responding to a call Feb. 8, 2021, that someone was screaming for help, arrived at an apartment building in the 1200 block of 4 Avenue South and found the body of 65-year-old Glenn Lofthouse. Police arrested Trotter the following day at a residence in the 1100 block of 11 Street South.
Police reported the suspect and victim knew each other, and the alleged murder was over a property dispute. Police also recovered a weapon they believe was used to kill Lofthouse.
Trotter’s matter is set to return to court April 5 to determine whether Urquhart has been retained, and to speak to adjourning the preliminary hearing. Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter 4
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