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Photo by Curtis Galbraith
Court

Drug bust sentence, preliminary hearings set

Apr 5, 2019 | 5:30 AM

Alberta Justice says a local man has been given a two-year jail sentence after a 2017 drug arrest.

Trent Douglas Hockett pleaded guilty to one charge each of possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm March 27 in Grande Prairie court.

A number of other charges were withdrawn.

Hockett was ordered to stand trail on seven charges after a preliminary hearing last December. Twenty-eight charges were laid at the time of his arrest.

He was charged after a search of a Wembley home March 16, 2017 turned up over 1000 pills, GHB, crystal meth and cocaine. Police also found several prohibited weapons and a stolen handgun.

On March 6, Hockett pleaded guilty to four counts of breach of probation in connection with a 2018 arrest. Two other counts were withdrawn.

That came after a traffic stop on November 22, 2018 in Grande Prairie led to the seizure of close to 1600 prescription pills, more than $3000 cash, a firearm, knives, and other weapons.

Preliminary hearing date for Grande Prairie woman

Alberta Justice says a preliminary hearing has been set for a Grande Prairie woman charged after the 2017 death of a man in the Peace River area.

Paige Eileen Burkinshaw’s hearing will take place August 22.

She was charged with manslaughter and robbery with a firearm in April of 2018 after the May, 2017 death of 20-year-old Lawrence Robert Butt.

His body was found in a burned-out trailer about 40 kilometres southeast of Peace River along Reno Road.

Another man facing similar charges in the same case, Kyle Dubroy-Clement has preliminary hearing dates set for June 4 and 5.

Blake Murphy, also of Grande Prairie, is facing a murder charge. His trial is set to start on September 30.

Preliminary hearing dates in kidnapping case

Alberta Justice says the two men charged after an assault, abduction and chase will have preliminary hearings later this year.

Andrew Schurman of Grande Prairie is facing charges that include kidnapping, break and enter, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. His hearing is set for October 7.

The charges against Kendall Kruger from Clairmont include kidnapping, uttering threats, break and enter, and two weapons counts. His hearing is set for July 3.

Grande Prairie RCMP were called to a break-in at Poplar Drive and 72 Avenue just before 4 a.m. on July 3, 2018. Two men broke into a home, assaulted the person inside , and forced them into a vehicle.

Police chased one of two suspect vehicles for almost an hour before it hit the ditch on Township Road 705 south of Crooked Creek.

Kruger was arrested at the time. Schurman was picked up in March of this year.