By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Trial resumes for young offender charged with attempted murder

Sep 21, 2017 | 5:55 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The voir dire for a man accused of attempted murder and aggravated sexual assault has finally come to an end, more than nine months after it started.

The process was part of the trial for the accused – the first half of which occurred in December of 2016 – to examine the admissibility of certain evidence. Details presented to the court through a voir dire are covered under a publication ban.

The man’s identity is also covered under a publication ban, as he was 17-years-old at the time of the alleged crime.

It had to be split into two parts because of an issue involving legal aid, and their unwillingness to pay for a DNA expert for the defence, as the cost went over their normal range. It eventually went ahead when the Crown and defence brought forward a consent order to have legal aid cover the costs, and the judge agreed.

With the voir dire having concluded, the two sides will now have to argue about the admissibility of the evidence included in it. That is expected to go ahead on Friday, Sept. 21.

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In a media release from the Lethbridge Police Service, they say that on May 3, 2015, a man entered a home in the 2100 block of Palm Road South around 5 a.m. Once inside, they say the man sexually assaulted a 45-year-old woman, dragged her outside where the sexual assault continued, then slit her throat and fled the scene.

The victim survived the ordeal, but died several months later from unrelated causes.

It has been noted by the Crown that should they get a conviction, they will be seeking an adult sentence for the accused.