Man charged in Walmart robbery denied bail

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This article was published 09/07/2024 (634 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Brandon man facing allegations of stealing his neighbour’s vehicle and threating a Walmart employee with a staple gun while stealing from the store will remain behind bars while he waits for his charges to move through the court system.

Michael Chartrand, 35, made an unsuccessful bid for bail in provincial court on Monday. He faces numerous charges, including robbery with intimidation, theft of a motor vehicle and weapons charges. The Crown opposed his release, citing his likelihood to reoffend.

The charges against Chartrand have not been proven in court and he remains innocent until proven guilty.

Crown attorney Sarah Kok read the evidence for the charges in court.

In January, a woman’s neighbour asked her if he could borrow some booster cables. She had done this for the man in the past and didn’t think it would be an issue. She handed him the keys to her car and said he could return the keys when he was done.

At first the woman didn’t think anything of the man turning on the vehicle, but soon noticed that he was driving away with it. She called the man’s girlfriend to ask where the man might have gone, but his girlfriend told the woman that the man left his cellphone at home and she did not have a way to contact him.

The woman then called police and officers were able to locate the vehicle.

When the man was arrested, a police search found a black satchel around his neck that contained a large hatchet and large butcher knife.

Then in June, police were dispatched to a report of a robbery at the Walmart store on 18th Street. There, a Walmart loss prevention officer told police that he stopped a man who was leaving the store as he observed him to be shoplifting.

The man had his face covered in a homemade camouflage mask and when stopped by the employee said, “You better let me go or else,” and showed the employee a metal staple gun.

The man then fled from the store. Police were able to locate and arrest him. During a search, officers found a staple gun that was attached to a chain that was hung around the man’s neck.

Officers also found a duffel bag filled with stolen items from Walmart, with a value totalling around $250.

“I think the Crown can see here that this was a very serious allegation. Of course, there’s concerns on the public safety aspect,” Kok said. “And it appears that the weapon was only brandished on an employee, but needless to say, this could have proven to be very difficult had this occurred to a member of the public or another customer at the Walmart.”

Kok also emphasized Chartrand’s criminal record, which included 24 convictions for failing to comply with court orders.

Chartrand’s defence lawyer, Anthony Dawson, told the court that his client has had a gap in charges for five years, which showed that he can stay in the community without causing trouble.

Dawson said his client denies the robbery charges. The defence lawyer presented a bail plan that would have Chartrand living in Brandon on a $200 cash bail.

Ultimately, Judge Patrick Sullivan decided to side with the Crown and deny Chartrand bail. He said the bail plan was not strong enough to give him confidence that Chartrand will both obey his release order and attend court to move his matter along.

“Mr. Chartrand, it seems clear to me that there’s no plan really capable of managing you well in the community,” the judge said.

Chartrand’s matter will next appear in Brandon court on Aug. 6.

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