By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Defence applying to withdraw sexual assault, child luring guilty pleas

Sep 10, 2018 | 11:03 AM

LETHBRIDGE – New defence counsel for a Coaldale man, who last April admitted to charges of child luring and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, is now applying to withdraw those guilty pleas.

During an appearance in Court of Queen’s Bench Monday morning, Sept. 10, for Trevor Pritchard, defence lawyer Bill Wister explained that he has filed the application and asked for an adjournment to Sept. 24. On that date, Wister hopes to schedule a hearing to address the application, which he anticipates the Crown prosecutor will oppose.

Speaking with media outside the courtroom, Wister said they want to withdraw the pleas, as they he doesn’t believe Pritchard was fully aware of the implications when he entered them – one of which is an expected dangerous offender application by the Crown. During a previous court appearance, an agent for special prosecutor Donna Spaner told the court that they are working to seek the consent of the Attorney General of Alberta to proceed with a dangerous offender application and hearing.

A dangerous offender designation comes with an indeterminate term of imprisonment in a penitentiary, with parole ineligibility for seven-years. For an offender to be eligible for the sentence, they need to have at least two prior primary designated offence convictions. In April, Spaner informed the court that Pritchard has three prior convictions for sexually assaulting adolescent girls in 2004, 2009 and 2010.

Wister stressed that this move was not a criticism of previous counsel who represented Pritchard when he entered the pleas, but said such a potential consequence requires further discussion with a client, as a dangerous offender designation would be much more onerous than a traditional sentence.

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He further stated that he is also representing Pritchard on another matter that is scheduled for trial by judge alone in November, and that the defence in both cases will be similar.

Guilty pleas

Following the two guilty pleas from Pritchard on April 9, an agreed statement of facts was presented to the court.

It was admitted that Pritchard met the 15-year-old victim on Facebook and they started communication via text message. On Jan. 17, 2017, she agreed to meet him in person, believing that he would take her to a job interview. Pritchard instead took the girl to his home in Coaldale, told her, “The interview was not going to happen,” then forced her to participate in various sexual acts. After, he drove her home and said he would kill her if she told anyone.

The girl told her mother about what had happened hours later, and after speaking to police, she was taken to the Chinook Regional Hospital for a sexual assault examination.

After those allegations came to light and Pritchard was first charged, police asked others to come forward. It was at that time that two girls under the age of 16 contacted police – resulting in the trial set for November.

by Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Defence applying to withdraw sexual assault, child luring guilty pleas

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