MEADOW LAKE – A prosecutor had no choice but to stay proceedings against a woman accused of holding a victim captive and assaulting her after a key witness didn’t show up to testify.
Meadow Lake Crown Prosecutor Peter Short told SASKTODAY.ca that the Crown has a year, until February 2024, to have the case against 37-year-old Brenda Partridge brought back before the courts if the witness is located. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the witness and RCMP are trying to track her down, said Short.
Police had released Partridge’s photo and issued a warrant for her arrest in February 2022. She was charged with aggravated assault, forcible confinement, and possession of matter stolen from mail.
Meadow Lake RCMP say that they got a call on Jan. 29, 2022, that a woman was in distress at a residence on 3rd Avenue West in Meadow Lake. When police entered the home, they found an injured woman inside. Police say that she had been threatened and assaulted by multiple people earlier that day and then forcibly confined. She was taken to hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
While police were investigating the incident, they noticed a large quantity of mail in the home. They secured the residence and got a search warrant. They said the mail was believed to be connected to their ongoing investigations into break-ins to mail boxes in Meadow Lake. Meadow Lake RCMP had previously warned the public about the mail theft investigations in November 2021 and January 2022.
The RCMP investigation into the mail thefts also led to the arrests of Dallas Gunn and Montana Morin. Gunn was charged with eight counts of possession of matter stolen from mail and possession of property obtained by crime. Morin was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, forcible confinement, eight counts of possession of matter stolen from mail, and possession of property obtained by crime.
The trial for both Morin and Dunn also didn’t proceed and a stay of proceedings was entered on their charges.
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