By Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twitter

Irving claims death threats in custody at Lethbridge Correctional Centre

Feb 5, 2019 | 10:24 AM

LETHBRIDGE – A 59-year-old woman, facing 13 counts of cruelty to animals, one count of causing suffering to animals and failure to appear in court, told a Lethbridge judge Tuesday, Feb. 5 she’s facing death threats while in custody.

April Dawn Irving appeared in Provincial Court via CCTV from Lethbridge Correctional Centre and asked Justice G.S. Maxwell to move her to solitary confinement because she fears for her safety.

She also asked to see an orthopedic surgeon or a doctor for a knee issue she is suffering from, after she was in a car accident in Jamaica.

Justice Maxwell noted her concerns were entered and on the record, and briefly spoke with her legal aid lawyer, Bjoern Wolkmann. However Maxwell told him there was nothign he could do about it.

Irving, carrying an array of papers during her appearance then said, “may I ask your name, Judge?” To which Justice Maxwell said, “No, you may not.”

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Wolkmann then asked for the matter to be adjourned for one week, until Feb. 11. She will remain in custody until then.

Background

Alberta RCMP confirm that April Dawn Irving was arrested on the evening of Jan. 16, 2019, by Stonewall RCMP, on behalf of Milk River RCMP. 

Prior to that in 2016, Saskatchewan RCMP released a photo of a woman they believed was Irving and in Jan. 2017, she was living in Jamaica.

Irving was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals in 2014, after five dogs were found dead on a property near Milk River, along with more than 200 neglected animals that were seized.
 
The animals that were alive, were found dehydrated, starving and chained to stakes.
 
Her court case in Lethbridge was never concluded and an arrest warrant was issued after she failed to show up for her court dates.