Security camera footage from the incident in 2018. (submitted photo)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

Charges stayed for suspect in Shellbrook armed robbery

Feb 1, 2023 | 10:00 AM

The investigation into an armed robbery at a Shellbrook restaurant is back at square one.

That’s because the two men arrested, have now both had their charges stayed. Matt Lafond’s matters were addressed last Friday at Prince Albert Provincial Court. Crown lawyer Shawn Blackman provided a statement to paNOW.

“The Crown has an ongoing responsibility to assess each case to determine if there is a reasonable likelihood of conviction and after consideration of the proceedings over the last five years and the cogency of evidence relating to the essential element of identity in consideration of the standard of proof being required to found a conviction being beyond a reasonable doubt, the decision was made to enter a stay of proceedings in the matter,” he said.

A picture of Matt Lafond from 2018. (RCMP)

The court case dates back to April 2018. Police said two men entered the business, brandished a weapon, and demanded cash from the employees before fleeing in a red sedan.

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Charges against the co-accused, Keth Stonechild, were stayed in 2021 with the Crown explaining at the time they could not prove Stonechild was there.

That same year however Stonechild did receive a four-year sentence for an incident that happened at Mistawasis First Nation in 2019.

Stonechild was let into the house, and after going downstairs, proceeded to point the gun at one of the two people sitting there.

At that point, a heated, loud argument was initiated between the two men, and an elderly woman, who had been sleeping upstairs, came down to see what was going on.

When she came down the stairs, Stonechild turned the gun towards her. The woman ran back up to call police. Angry that “his mom,” had been threatened with the gun, the man who had initially been arguing with Stonechild grabbed a machete “that he had lying around” and cut Stonechild across the shoulder and chest.

Stonechild fled the residence and was located by police the following day at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon, where he was being treated for an eight-inch gash.

It is important to note, a stay of proceedings does not mean the case is dropped. Should new evidence surface, the Crown does have up to a year to recommence proceedings.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell