Man accused in go-kart incident denied bail

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This article was published 27/07/2023 (1157 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Birtle man who is facing allegations of sending RCMP all over the small community in search of a non-existent homicide will remain behind bars while his charges work their way through the court system.

Conan Clark faces numerous charges, including domestic assault, public mischief and break and enter. A judge denied his bail application in court on Wednesday after the Crown, citing concerns for Clark’s likelihood to reoffend, opposed his release.

Crown attorney Sarah Kok read the evidence for the charges in court. The charges against Clark have not been proven in court and he remains innocent until proven guilty.

On May 13, Shoal Lake RCMP received a call from a victim who claimed that a man had tried to assault him with a hammer and by hitting him with a go-kart.

The victim told police that he was going to check his camper in a campground in Birtle when a man in a go-kart, who was driving around the campground, tried to run him over. When the go-kart driver couldn’t successfully run over the victim, he tried to hit him with a hammer instead before fleeing the scene.

While Mounties responded to the go-kart incident, the suspect phoned in a series of phoney reports claiming that another man was out to get him, and that a man had been shot in the head and murdered on Main Street. He added reports that the “victim” had his head blown off and was in a brown truck by a car dealership.

The prosecutor noted that significant resources and emergency services were committed to the supposed homicide, drawing authorities’ attention away from the go-kart assault. Ultimately, no one was found to be shot and police arrested the man when he was walking on Main Street carrying a hammer.

In police custody, officers noted that the man did not appear to be under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. When they confronted him about the fact that no one had been shot in the head and that no one was chasing him, the man apparently shrugged his shoulders and did not seem very concerned.

As he’d allegedly been driving the go-kart, police also charged the suspect under the Highway Traffic Act because he was suspended from driving.

The same suspect is also charged in relation to a break-in to the garage of one of his girlfriend’s relatives a month later. Several belongings were taken, including lawn chairs and fishing equipment.

He’s also accused of committing a sustained assault against his girlfriend earlier in the year, and of stealing two vehicles from Saskatchewan and setting one on fire.

The Crown raised concerns with the seriousness of the allegations and well as the allegations that he continues to be found with his girlfriend despite a court order.

“He’s already been on release and had an opportunity to be out in the community while pending on serious charges in multiple jurisdictions,” Kok said. “He’s blatantly disregarding his court orders and substantively re-involving himself in the criminal justice system.”

Defence lawyer Anthony Dawson told court that the 41-year-old was contesting many of the allegations against him, specifically claiming he wasn’t part of the break-in and that his girlfriend is the one who seeks contact with him and continues to come to his home.

Clark has no prior criminal record.

Dawson presented a bail plan that would have Clark live in at his home in Birtle and abide by a curfew. However, Judge Patrick Sullivan expressed concern that Clark is wanted in Saskatchewan and continues to get involved with the law and denied bail.

Clark’s matter will next appear in court on Aug. 3.

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