A man arrested in the Village of Morrin following a collaborative investigation between Drumheller RCMP, Calgary Emergency Response Team and Police Dog Services, Lethbridge Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT), and the Canadian Border Service Agency, was denied release following a show cause hearing in provincial court in Drumheller on Friday, September 16.
The accused, 41-year old Jeffrey Morse, appeared via closed circuit television (CCTV) from the Calgary Remand Centre while Crown and defense lawyer Hugh Sommerville discussed whether or not he would be released from custody.
During the show cause hearing, which is sometimes called a bail hearing, Mr. Sommerville explained Morse is a lifelong resident of the Drumheller area.
At the time of his arrest he was living with his common-law partner and co-accused, 31-year-old Tawny Markiewicz.
Crown prosecution noted Mr. Morse has a lengthy criminal record spanning approximately 21 years, with a majority of charges stemming from the Drumheller jurisdiction.
Mr. Sommerville added he did not feel Mr. Morse is a flight risk due to his lifelong ties to the area. He also noted, despite the length of Mr. Morse’s criminal record, there were few charges on record for failure to appear in court.
Following the presentations of both Crown and defense, Mr. Morse was denied release on the grounds of his lengthy criminal history and failure to abide by previous court orders which showed an apparent lack of respect for the courts and its process.
The case was adjourned until Friday, October 14.
