WESTLOCK – One of the four youth charged in connection with a brutal attack on an 18-year-old woman near Long Island Lake was denied bail, following a contested hearing on Feb. 26.
Justice J. Stuffco denied the youth bail in Westlock Court of Justice. The youth, who can’t be identified due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, appeared by CCTV from the youth remand centre in Edmonton.
Another youth charged in the incident was granted bail by Justice Gordon Putnam after a contested bail hearing on Jan. 22. That youth, who had been wanted on a Canada-wide warrant, was arrested in Edmonton by police just days before his release on bail.
There is a ban on publication on both bail hearings to protect the youths’ right to a fair trial. They have elected to be tried by judge and jury with a preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for September.
The two remaining youth charged haven't had bail hearings yet.
Court heard a third youth involved in the case is currently negotiating a plea bargain with the Crown. Prosecutor Eric Mosley told the court on Feb. 26 that the Crown and defence have reached an agreed statement of facts, which is expected to be presented in court in March.
All four youth are charged with attempted murder, robbery, uttering threats, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. The charges stem from an incident where Westlock RCMP say four youth allegedly took the woman to a remote wooded area in Westlock County where they tried to kill her and left her for dead in September 2024.
In September three youths were arrested and in November, Westlock RCMP issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for the fourth youth.
The woman was rescued by people camping and quadding on Crown land near Long Island Lake.
Eyewitnesses who rescued the woman, in what they described as a “horror movie,” told Town and Country Today that she appeared on the side of the road after coming out of the ditch covered in blood. She told them that she had been beat, stabbed and left to die.
The Crown is seeking to have the youth sentenced as adults if convicted.
