Aaron Christopher Watt will remain in custody while he waits for his preliminary trial Feb. 22, 2018.
Honourable Judge Karl Wilberg denied Watt bail on Tuesday, Aug. 1 in the Bonnyville Provincial Courthouse, due to the violent nature of the allegations against him.
Currently, Watt is awaiting trial for attempted murder after the theft of a truck at a La Corey liquor store went awry.
On Nov. 9 2016, a man had his truck stolen from the parking lot of the Hawk I's liquor store. Security footage shows a black Ford Escape pull into the parking lot before an individual exits the vehicle and steals the patron's grey Ford F350.
With the help of nearby friends who saw the direction the suspects took off, the truck owner decided to follow. Upon spotting his stolen vehicle, the owner's situation took an unexpected turn for the worst.
“Before they knew it, the black SUV pulled up beside them and fired a shot, hitting the owner of the stolen truck in the shoulder,” detailed Crown Prosecutor Jordan Kerr.
Almost simultaneously, the driver of the stolen truck backed up into the vehicle the owner was following in. The owner was rushed to the Bonnyville Covenant Healthcare Centre where he was treated for his injuries.
The RCMP later received information placing Watt in the passenger's seat of the black SUV, where the shot had come from.
Further explaining the Crown's position to deny Watt's release, Kerr cited a separate incident at the Bonnyville Centennial Centre.
Five days after the first offence, on Nov. 14, 2016, Watt and another suspect were seen walking around the grounds of the C2. The two men entered the men's changeroom, emerging shortly after with a member's keys and wallet.
The two men proceeded to drive away in the victim's Ford F350, before using his credit card at a gas station in La Corey.
With multiple investigations ongoing, Wilberg's concern for public safety led to the decision to keep Watt behind bars.
“While they remain only allegations, I have to take into account Watt is continuously mixed up in these type of violent offences,” noted Wilberg. “He doesn't feel confined by the ordinary rules of the people in the community.”
