Trial begins for man accused of setting fireplace to Edson space companies
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{The teenager} entered the pet retailer after midnight on Boxing Day. Following the older man’s instructions, he walked previous the damaged glass and the rows of cabinets till he reached a lifeless finish. After a couple of minutes, he discovered a black and white chihuahua pet and — together with a canine mattress and a blanket — made for the exit.
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The youth claims that when he seemed again, he was shocked by what he noticed. “The pet retailer was on fireplace,” he testified in a Hinton courtroom Monday.
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The fireplace at Whitecourt’s KW Pets was one among 5 suspicious blazes that put Edson space residents on edge in late 2019 and early 2020. Preliminary estimates from the fires pegged losses at over $10 million.
Thomas James Berube, the youth’s alleged abettor that night, started a provincial court docket trial Monday in reference to the fires. Berube, who’s in his late 30s, faces a complete of 14 fees, together with theft, break and enter, animal cruelty and 7 counts of arson.
The Crown started its case Monday with testimony from {the teenager}, who’s at present serving a nine-month sentence for collaborating within the break-ins and ensuing blazes. Postmedia is just not figuring out him below the Youth Felony Justice Act.
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The youth briefly lived with Berube, telling court docket he bounced round after a household tragedy that precipitated him to drop out of faculty and begin utilizing medicine.
The youth stated his offending started Dec. 9, 2019, when he stole an acquaintance’s F-150 pickup. He and Berube travelled later that day to Edson Chrysler Dodge Jeep, the place Berube allegedly smashed a window with a wrench and began loading units of tires into the truck.
The youth claimed that earlier than leaving, Berube set a hearth contained in the dealership with highway flares and a jerrycan of gasoline. After unloading the tires, which Berube allegedly offered, the F-150 was pushed to a secluded space and set ablaze.
The break-in at KW Pets occurred later that month. The youth claimed Berube instructed him to steal the chihuahua — named Striker — which he claims Berube gifted to his girlfriend. The teenager stated he didn’t anticipate Berube to mild one other fireplace, and that Berube claimed there have been no different pets within the retailer.
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The following break-in occurred at Edson Honda, the place the 2 allegedly stole greater than $5,000 price of transportable turbines on Dec. 30, 2019. The teenager admitted to beginning the hearth on the Honda dealership, claiming he went alongside as a result of he owed Berube cash.
The final of the fires occurred Feb. 23, 2020, on the Petro-Canada station in Niton Junction. The teenager stated he didn’t take part in that incident, telling court docket Berube and a pal from jail went there to steal cigarettes.
Berube, who’s in custody, informed court docket Monday that he was arrested at gunpoint at a gasoline bar in Spruce Grove on Feb. 27, 2020. Berube made the declare as a part of an extended assertion to court docket, which he made rather than his lawyer, Robert Gladu.
Berube stated he’s searching for a mistrial as a result of the Crown didn’t disclose proof that was given to a earlier lawyer. Berube claims that lawyer obtained a number of hundred extra gigabytes of proof disclosure that Gladu has not obtained, a few of it coping with alleged misconduct on the a part of the RCMP. Choose Thomas Achtymichuk allowed the trial to proceed whereas he decides learn how to take care of Berube’s criticism.
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Photini Papadatou, the Crown prosecutor, informed court docket that a lot of the earlier disclosure was a “information dump” from RCMP. “A number of it was repetitive, plenty of it was irrelevant.” Papadatou additionally informed court docket she has obtained letters in Berube’s handwriting which she forwarded to Calgary police.
The youth is predicted to proceed his testimony Tuesday. Berube’s trial is scheduled to proceed by Sept. 9.
Berube faces two extra public mischief fees for statements made in 2021 accusing two totally different Crown prosecutors and a decide of committing offences. That case is subsequent in court docket for pleas Sept. 21.
