Photo by Curtis Galbraith

By EverythingGP staff

Court

Court update: All charges dismissed in one drug case, charges withdrawn in another

Mar 4, 2020 | 5:32 AM

Alberta Justice and the Federal Crown Prosecutor say all the charges against three people arrested in a 2019 Grande Prairie drug bust have been dismissed.

Alberta Justice says all the charges against Tyler Kisch, Kaylie Tomkins, and Darcy Belcourt all of Dawson Creek were dismissed February 20.

They were each facing two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, plus weapons charges and other offences.

RCMP said at the time that cocaine, methamphetamine, and a sawed-off shotgun were seized during a vehicle stop at 100 Street and 94 Avenue on March 3, 2019.

The Federal Crown Prosecutor’s office says in an email to our newsroom that after the preliminary hearing on February 20, the Crown told the court that based on the evidence presented, they did not believe there was enough evidence to arrest the suspects. That also meant there was no lawful reason for the search. All of this meant there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction.

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Charges against two of three suspects in another drug case withdrawn

Alberta Justice says the charges against two of the three people arrested in a March 2019 bust have been withdrawn.

Alberta Justice says all of the charges against Robert Wade Stewart and Garrett Kenneth Forrest, and four of the ten against Matthew Rober Best, have been withdrawn.

RCMP said at the time that the three, all of Grande Prairie, were arrested on March 22 of last year in relation to what started as an investigation into a sexual assault and forcible confinement. Drugs and weapons were also seized. Only drug, weapon and breach charges remained on the docket at the time of the withdrawal.

The Federal Crown Prosecutor says in an email to our newsroom that the charges against Stewart and Forrest were withdrawn after a preliminary inquiry on January 13 as the Crown did not believe there was sufficient evidence available.

As for Best, the Crown adds that the four charges were withdrawn because there was not enough evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction.

He is still facing charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, breach of recognizance, and possession of stolen property under $5000 and is due back in court April 20.