BOYLE — A young man charged with attempted murder of a family member was released on bail with a promise to pay ahead of his February 2025 trial.
In Boyle Court of Justice Oct. 22, Justice Robert Shaigec granted 20-year-old Elijah Auigbelle house arrest bail on a $1,500 promise to pay and more stringent conditions than proposed by his lawyer, Tania Shapka.
Crown prosecutor Taylor Noble opposed bail on secondary and tertiary grounds; secondary being a concern for the victims and public safety, and tertiary being specific context of the charge, such as gravity of offence, sentencing range for the offence, and strength of the Crown’s case.
“As I weigh Mr. Auigbelle’s right to a reasonable bail against the communities right and my obligation to offer that to the community, I find that when I weigh those two, it comes out in favour of house arrest,” said Shaigec.
Attempted murder is the sole charge Auigbelle is facing, alleged to have occurred on Aug. 14.
Auigbelle will reside in Bonnyville with his sister until his trial Feb. 26 and 27 and is under no go and no contact conditions for two Crown witnesses.
Additional conditions include regular reporting to a probation officer, appearing in court as required, and attending assessment, treatment, and/or counselling for drugs and alcohol as well as psychological and psychiatric issues.
House arrest means Auigbelle will remain in his sister’s residence 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the exception of medical and dental emergencies, travelling for work, school, or counselling, and court-related requirements and meetings.
Auigbelle will be permitted to leave the residence to shop for basic living necessities to a maximum of four hours per week.
“Mr. Auigbelle is entitled to reasonable bail and there’s nothing tangible in his past that creates a disentitlement to that,” said Shaigec.
