Woman denied bail after allegedly defying hotel ban

A 28-year-old woman was denied bail on Tuesday after allegedly breaching a court order prohibiting her from going to the Crystal Hotel more than 24 hours after she was accused of trying to stab someone in the building.

An employee at the downtown hotel on Pacific Avenue called Brandon police on Sunday morning about a woman who allegedly pulled out a fork to harm a man after he asked her to leave him alone.

While the victim did not suffer any injuries, the employee told police that the suspect, Jacquiline Laporte, had been banned from the hotel and staff did not want her to return, Crown attorney Reid Girard said in Brandon provincial court.

Laporte was charged with assault with a weapon and was released from police custody on a condition not to return to the hotel, which she allegedly breached on Monday evening.

“Members arrived on scene and located Ms. Laporte inside the residence, and she was arrested for failing to comply with her undertaking,” Girard said.

Girard said the Crown was opposed to Laporte’s bail release, citing concerns she would pose a risk to public safety and commit new criminal offences.

Laporte is pending on charges of break and enter and mischief under $5,000 for an incident in July when she entered a Brandon residence to retrieve a yellow sweater she claims was hers, Girard said.

She was also arrested and charged on Sept. 15 for allegedly stealing two cases of Twisted Teas from a delivery truck that was unloading at a beer vendor on 10th Street, he said.

Police spoke with the delivery truck driver who stated, “The female was asking him lots of questions, and when he asked her to leave, she grabbed the two cases off the back of the truck and then ran away,” Girard said.

Officers located Laporte on Ninth Street and Pacific Avenue holding an open box of Twisted Teas and she was taken into custody and later released on an undertaking, he said.

“From the Crown’s perspective, she is a risk to continue to engage in this type of offending.”

Defence lawyer Anthony Dawson said his client is experiencing homelessness and is impacted by her family history within the residential school system. He said police aren’t opposed to her release before outlining her bail application proposal.

“The police do happen to be interacting with Ms. Laporte on a fairly regular basis and … at least were not initially opposed to releasing her on her most recent offence,” Dawson said.

Laporte’s bail plan included conditions not to attend the Crystal Hotel or the locations of the alleged thefts, not to have contact with any of the complainants, and not to possess any weapons or consume any drugs and alcohol.

“Ms. Laporte is someone that the court could release, considering all of her circumstances. She’s someone who is very much struggling while out in the community, but I don’t think that necessarily means … to deny her release in this case,” Dawson told the provincial court judge.

Judge Patrick Sullivan said he didn’t have “any confidence” Laporte would be able to follow the proposed bail conditions and denied her release.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

Laporte’s next court date is scheduled for Oct. 6.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com