Failure to comply lands jail stint

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on March 9, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A Lethbridge man who has repeatedly failed to follow court orders has been sentenced to four months in jail.
Jyi Mickell Trotter, 44, pleaded guilty Thursday in Lethbridge court of justice to three counts of failure to comply with conditions of a release order, and single counts of possession of stolen credit cards and possession of identity documents belonging to other people.
On Nov. 11, 2023 Lethbridge police noticed a pickup truck without licence plate lights. They stopped the vehicle, and inside the vehicle found four people, one of whom was Trotter.
Police, who knew Trotter was wanted on outstanding warrants and was subject to court-ordered release conditions, including 24-hour curfew, arrested him, and during a search found two knives in his pockets.
“One of the other conditions of that release order required him not to have in his possession any weapons, firearms, ammunition or explosive substances except for a knife for culinary or work purposes,” Crown Prosecutor Michael Fox said. “He was not at work nor was he eating at the point in time when they arrested him.”
Police also found various bank cards belonging to three other people, as well as identity cards, including a driver’s licence, Alberta Health card, social insurance card and a UFA card.
Trotter was subsequently released on several conditions, including that he reside at a particular residence on the southside of the city. However, on Dec. 27 police went to the residence to check on Trotter’s compliance to the condition, and he was not there.
“Not only was Mr. Trotter not at home, one of the occupants indicated that Mr. Trotter did not live in the property, and they had not seen him in months,” Fox said.
Fox pointed out Trotter has a lengthy criminal record going back to 1996, and between 2021 and 2023 alone he had been convicted of nine breaches of court orders, for which he received short jail sentences.
Defence told court Trotter has struggled with addiction for a long time, and that addiction has led to his criminal offences.
Although sentenced to 120 days in jail, Trotter was given credit for that time he has already spent in custody, which completes his sentence. Trotter remains in jail, however, for unrelated offences.

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