Brent Adair Habetler, 46, has fled Bermuda and returned to Saskatchewan, skipping his sentencing hearing, Bermuda's Royal Gazette reported April 9.
Habetler – who legally changed his name to Sir Brent Habetler and claimed to be third cousin to Queen Elizabeth II – was found guilty in Bermuda Magistrates Court on April 5 and was to be sentenced April 8 on charges of committing an indecent act and assault, but left Bermuda.
Bermuda Magistrate Craig Attridge heard that he flew back to his native Saskatchewan and has not returned, said the Royal Gazette.
Habetler, who had been on the island since last November, was given permission to leave Bermuda the day he was convicted April 5 because he had run out of cash to fund his stay.
Victoria Greening, for the defence, said that her client flew home the following day, but couldn't find a way back to face sentencing, reported the Royal Gazette. She added that, while he claimed he had friends with private planes, none of them were willing to let him board.
Alan Richards, for the Bermuda Crown, said on April 8 that Habetler deserved a “short sharp shock” of three months imprisonment for his actions, reported the Royal Gazette.
He said that both incidents, though on the lower end of seriousness, together crossed the threshold for a custodial sentence.
He added that Habetler’s lack of remorse, failure to appear for sentencing, and potential breach of his Canadian peace bond should all play a factor, reported the Royal Gazette.
Defence told the court April 8 that Habetler’s crimes were still on the lower end of seriousness, and that the peace bond, while binding in Canadian law, had no influence in Bermuda’s jurisdiction. She also said that Habetler had offered to pay $2,000 towards any potential fines in case he couldn’t return to Bermuda.
Habetler's arrest in Bermuda
Habetler was arrested in Bermuda in November 2023 for masturbating in a public place. The charge stemmed from when Habetler was a guest at the Willowbank Resort in Southampton, Bermuda. He was also charged with assaulting a man at a hotel.
Bermuda Police Service Corporate Communications Manager Gary Moreno had confirmed the charges with SaskToday.
Willowbank Resort in Bermuda was called in November 2023 for confirmation that Habetler was a guest. The clerk said, “Oh is that the man from Canada?" and then added, "He left last week.” When asked about Habetler’s charges stemming from his stay at the hotel, the clerk said “you have to talk to the police.”
In a phone interview in November 2023, Trevor Lindsay, journalist and owner of TNN in Bermuda, said that Habetler was forced to leave the hotel after he was arrested. He said Habetler had gone to another hotel afterwards and was turned away.
During Habetler’s trial in Bermuda in February, The Royal Gazette reported that a woman testified Habetler was looking in the direction of her daughter and granddaughter while performing the indecent act, and told her that he “had an itch.”
Habetler under Canadian court conditions at time
On April 8, Bermuda court heard that Habetler was on a yearlong “peace bond” at the time of his arrest, which had been ordered on Nov. 15, 2023, by the Canadian Court of Lloydminster, Alberta, reported the Royal Gazette. The bond was binding no matter where in the world he was, and ordered that he be on good behaviour and stay away from public pools, day cares and playgrounds, Bermuda court heard.
Likewise, a law professor told SaskToday in January that those conditions were binding, regardless of where in the world.
“While Canadian criminal law does not apply outside of Canada per se (e.g. he could not be prosecuted in Canada for offences committed in Bermuda or anywhere else), the courts have found that court-ordered conditions (such as those attaching to peace bonds) apply to the person regardless of location,” said University of Alberta Law Professor Steven Penney. “So it is possible that he could be found in violation of those conditions by an Alberta court.”
Bermuda’s Royal Gazette mentions SaskToday’s reporting
Royal Gazette, in their April 9 story, extensively quoted SaskToday's coverage of Habetler saying, “Habetler’s Bermuda case picked up traction in his native Saskatchewan, where the newspaper SaskToday published a story last Friday detailing his conviction and history.
Fake royal? No proof found in Habetler’s claims to be royalty
Habetler had legally changed his name to Sir Brent Adair Habetler and claimed to be third cousin to the now late Queen Elizabeth II.
But after genealogy expert, Xenia Stanford from Family Roots Tracer in British Columbia, spent countless hours pouring over family trees and archives trying to find any evidence that would prove Sir Habetler's Royal lineage, she came up empty-handed, saying no historical evidence proving Habetler’s claims could be found.
Habetler, and his lawyer, were given numerous opportunities to respond to these findings before they were published by SaskToday, but neither responded.
Stolen valour
Habetler had also claimed that he was a sniper and a weapons tech in the military. He said after being recognized as third cousin to Queen Elizabeth II, he represented the Monarchy at a military event in Wainwright, Alta.
In August 2019, when asked, the Wainwright military base would neither confirm nor deny Habetler's claim to have participated in their military event as a member of the Monarchy.
Three months later, in October 2019, information about Habetler appeared on Stolen Valour Canada. Stolen Valour said Habetler claimed to have served in the Canadian Army from 1999-2003, and was a member of 1 PPCLI / Joint Task Forces 1 & 2 [weapons tech and sniper]. He claimed to have been deployed to the Balkans, Africa, Middle East and Central America and retired on a “quarter pension” as a Master Corporal. He claimed to have a secret knighthood for his combat service in JTF2 on operations in Venezuela.
Stolen Valour said that the reality was “Sir Brent doesn’t have a single day of CF service.”
Faced similar charges decades ago in Canada
According to a Feb. 17, 2000, story in the Prince George Free Press, Habetler, then 22, was charged with two counts of committing an indecent act and exposing himself for a sexual purpose. The story states that on Jan. 8, 2000, police received a report that a man had lured a 10-year-old girl into the washroom at the Elksentre where he committed an indecent act.
Habetler was arrested and released on bail on strict conditions. He was barred from all fast food restaurants, the Elksentre and all public places where young girls may frequent such as playgrounds. Following a trial in July 2000, one charge was dropped, and he was acquitted on the other charge.
Sask. RCMP warns residents Habetler high-risk to re-offend
In March 2023, Saskatchewan RCMP released Habetler's photo to media and said that in the interest of public safety, they were warning residents of the Maidstone RCMP detachment area, and surrounding communities, that Habetler had been charged with committing an indecent act, and that he was at high risk to reoffend.
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