Estevan provincial court heard further bail hearings for local individuals charged in a May long weekend kidnapping.
During the June 2 proceedings, a show-cause hearing for Spencer Persson was held. He has been charged with 13 counts that include kidnapping, use of a firearm in the commission of an offence, extortion, assault with a weapon, uttering death threats, as well as other charges.
Persson was denied bail by Estevan's new provincial judge, Karl Bazin. His next court appearance will be June 13, as will Dustin MacNeil's who had his bail denied on May 30.
During the same court proceedings, Jessica Smith, who had been arrested and detained for the same charges, was released after the Crown no longer opposed her release. She was released on an undertaking with a number of conditions, including maintaining one of two possible residences in Lampman or Macoun, abiding by a curfew at those residences from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and she is to have no contact with the other accused in the case or any of the victims and witnesses.
Her next court appearance is June 27.
In court on June 6 a bail verification report was ordered for Amanda Knebush, who has been charged with the same offences as Persson and Smith and is alleged to be involved in the same incident those two are. Knebush will make her next appearance on June 13.
The final two accused in this matter are set to have show-cause hearings on June 9.
In other court proceedings Kristofer Douglas Donald entered guilty pleas to charges including assault, robbery, mischief and breaching the conditions of an undertaking. A pre-sentence report has been ordered to look into the possibilities of a conditional sentence and electronic monitoring.
The Crown prosecutor pointed out that because the robbery charge is a personal injury matter, Donald may not be eligible for a conditional sentence.
Donald will be back in court for sentencing on July 4.
