By Curtis Galbraith

Court Update: Jail sentence in drug case, prelim. and trial dates set in other matters

Oct 5, 2018 | 1:38 PM

An Edmonton court has handed a 45-month jail sentence to a Grande Prairie man charged after an ALERT bust two years ago in the Swan City.
 
Alberta Justice says Justin Myles Stuart had pleaded guilty to a possession for the purpose of trafficking charge in June. A possession of stolen property charge was withdrawn. Stuart was also given a $200 fine and a 10-year firearm prohibition during sentencing October 2 in Edmonton.
 
Stuart was one of four people arrested after a search of a Grande Prairie home in July of 2016 turned up more than 400 fentanyl pills, 21 grams of methamphetamine and more than $1500 cash.
 
Charges against the other three, Laurie Willier, Abel Araya, and Ethan Maclean, were withdrawn.
 
 
Prelim. date set in stabbing case
 
Alberta Justice says a preliminary hearing date has been set for one of two people charged after a March stabbing in Grande Prairie.
 
The hearing for Stephanie Plamondon will take place December 6.
 
She is facing attempted murder and aggravated assault charges after a March 6 attack near Rotary House left a man with multiple stab wounds. At the time, police said he was taken to hospital with injuries they described as not being life-threatening.
 
A stay of proceedings is in place in the case against Dylan Gogan, the other person arrested in connection to this incident.
 
He was beaten into a coma during an attack at the Peace River Correctional Centre. He was taken home to Nova Scotia at the request of his family.
 

Two men fined after handgun found in vehicle
 
Two men charged in March after Grande Prairie RCMP found a loaded handgun in a vehicle have each admitted to a single count of breach of probation, according to Alberta Justice.
 
Harsh Jindal from Edmonton and Paul Stephenson of Beaumont have each been fined $300. They had been facing multiple counts of failing to comply with recognizance, along with possession of property obtained by crime counts and other weapons charges.
 
Alberta Justice says all those other charges were withdrawn in Grande Prairie court September 26.
 
Grande Prairie RCMP said on March 6, police pulled over a suspicious vehicle near 74 Avenue and Poplar Drive. A loaded handgun was found during a search of that vehicle.
 
 
Trial date set for one accused in Sturgeon lake shooting incident
 
A trial date has been set for one of the five people charged after an exchange of gunfire on Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in August.
 
Alberta Justice says the trial for Winona Kristen Lynn Gauchey will be held May 9, 2019, in Valleyview.
 
She is facing nine firearms-related charges after being arrested in September. Valleyview RCMP say searches during that arrest turned up a long-barreled rifle, a loaded magazine, and brass knuckles.
 
Four other people charged in the same case are due back in Valleyview court November 1.
 
Valleyview RCMP said no one was hurt when two parties exchanged gunfire August 9. A vehicle and a house were hit by shots.