Man accused in baseball-bat assault denied bail

A Sioux Valley man accused of hitting another man in the head with a baseball bat, leaving him with a broken jaw, was denied bail on Wednesday.

However, the man’s lawyer argued that there was more to the story, calling the complainant “hardly an innocent bystander.”

Robin Taylor, 35, appeared over video in Brandon provincial court for a contested bail hearing in which the Crown was opposed on the basis that Taylor won’t follow court orders.

Taylor is charged with aggravated assault and uttering threats of bodily harm. He is also charged with several weapons offences and failing to comply with court orders.

Virden RCMP received a report that a man had been struck in the head with a baseball bat and was bleeding profusely in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation on June 18, Crown attorney Grant Hughes told the court.

Hughes said officers arrived and “met (him) … covered in blood, bleeding from a large laceration to his head from behind his ear.” The man told officers that his neighbour assaulted him with a baseball bat.

The man was transported to a hospital in Hamiota, and a medical report confirmed he had an oblique fracture to his mandibular ramus, which Hughes said is essentially a broken jaw. He required seven stitches to his scalp and four to his ear, he said.

Police went to Taylor’s house, where he admitted he was involved in an altercation, and explained the circumstances, Hughes said.

“Mr. Taylor indicates that (the man) walked across his property to get into his house and, according to Mr. Taylor, his dog took off aggressively towards (the man), who then kicked the dog,” he said. “A verbal argument then ensued where (the man) began throwing rocks at Mr. Taylor.”

He said this is when Taylor grabbed a baseball bat and claimed to have used it in self-defence.

Several witnesses, including family members of both men, watched the altercation. Ultimately, the family members broke up the fight, Hughes said.

He said it’s problematic that Taylor was out on bail at the time. Taylor is also facing charges from January after it was alleged that he and a woman showed up at a couple’s house and pointed a gun at them, demanding money.

One of the alleged victims told police that she had been involved in an unrelated argument earlier that night, and Taylor allegedly told them they “f—ed with the wrong family,” and if they called the police, he would “finish the job.”

The couple did call police, and officers patrolled the area but did not find Taylor, Hughes said. Taylor surrendered to the Brandon Police Service the next day, he said.

In February, Taylor was released on a $5,000 cash deposit and a $5,000 promise to pay, along with a condition that he not enter the city of Brandon.

On June 10, BPS stopped a vehicle and found Taylor inside, Hughes said. He was granted release again on another $5,000 cash deposit and $5,000 promise to pay on June 12.

“Within a week of being released that second time, he’s involved in another very serious incident, causing significant injuries,” Hughes said, referring to the alleged baseball-bat attack. “Mr. Taylor is no longer a candidate for release. Cash is certainly not an incentive for Mr. Taylor to follow any court orders.”

Defence lawyer Bob Harrison said he disagreed with the Crown’s submission and that he was going to share what really happened, referring to the circumstances surrounding the altercation.

Taylor claimed that the man who was later attacked was intoxicated and not leaving Taylor’s property after he was told to several times, Harrison said.

Taylor acknowledged that his dog went toward the man, but that she was not aggressive and had a muzzle on, yet despite this, the man kicked the dog and threatened to kill her, Harrison said.

Reading from Taylor’s text messages to him, Harrison added: “This is not the first time he’s tried to hurt my dog. A month prior, he tried to poison my dog with chocolate.”

Harrison said the dog had a cut on her chin and was bleeding from the kick.

Taylor claimed that while he was taking the dog inside, the man started throwing rocks at him. Taylor continued to tell him to get off the property, but the man kept getting closer and at one point had a golf club, Harrison said.

The lawyer said Taylor admitted that he grabbed the baseball bat to create space and eventually hit him with it.

As for the previous charges, Harrison said Taylor admitted to showing up at the couple’s place but denied having any sort of weapon, and when police found him in Brandon, it was for medical reasons.

Harrison said Taylor could provide a $10,000 cash deposit and a $1,000 named surety. Additionally, he said he would agree to an absolute curfew.

Judge Patrick Sullivan said there were certainly triable issues around the circumstances of the charges, but that the allegations were concerning.

“I’m not of the view that the bail plan as presented is sufficient to address the concerns of Mr. Taylor’s reinvolvement — now back before the court for further substantive offending,” he said.

» sanderson@brandonsun.com