By EverythingGP staff

Court

Court update: Jail time for bank robbery, guilty plea in Gift Lake stabbing death, trial dates set in Sucker Creek murder

Jun 2, 2023 | 6:00 AM

A Grande Prairie man charged after a robbery at a downtown bank last year had pleaded guilty and has been given a four-year jail sentence.

Jeremy Tyler Winders pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced May 23 in Grande Prairie court.

Winders was charged after a July 20, 2022 robbery at the Scotiabank branch located at 99 Street and 100 Avenue in Grande Prairie.

RCMP said at the time at around 2 p.m. a man went into the bank, said he had explosives and demanded a large amount of money.

Police responded and arrested the man right away. A search did not turn up any explosives.

Winders is also facing charges of robbery, disguise with intent, and failure to comply with a release order in a separate arrest from 2022. He is due back in court June 14.

He had also been facing three possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking charges after another arrest in 2022, but those charges were withdrawn on May 10, 2023.

Guilty plea after stabbing death at the Gift Lake Mets Settlement

Alberta Justice says a woman charged with murder after the stabbing death of a man in May of 2021 at the Gift Lake Metis Settlement has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter.

Tara Rita Louise Auger will be sentenced in High Prairie court August 31.

The Red Earth Creek woman was charged after Russell Lawrence Lamouche died after being stabbed on the evening of May 19, 2021 at a Gift Lake home.

RCMP said at the time that they got a call about an intoxicated female causing a disturbance. The call about the stabbing came in while they were en route to the scene after the first report.

Lamouche was found unresponsive and died at the scene.

Auger was arrested a short time later at a nearby home.

Trial dates set in Sucker Creek murder case

Alberta Justice says trial dates have been set for a High Prairie man facing murder and forcible confinement charges.

A jury trial for Travis Myles Melnyk is set for February 4 to 21, 2024.

Melnyk was charged after police received a report on November 19, 2021 about an assault with a weapon at a home on the Sucker Creek First Nation.

A 35-year-old man was found dead at the scene. His name was not released.