Charges were stayed on Tuesday against a man charged in connection with a violent abduction in Red Deer in the summer of 2012.
Jason Shawn Fraser, 39, was among four people arrested by Red Deer City RCMP investigating the kidnapping and assault of a 44-year-old city man on July 12, 2012.
Police stated at the time that they believed the abduction was in retaliation for an incident on the previous day, when a 16-year-old boy was found inside city limits, bound and gagged with duct tape. Police alleged at the time that the man believed to have been involved with the youth had been captured and beaten, and then dumped in a rural area outside of city limits.
Charges were laid against Fraser and two other adults, as well as a youth.
Fraser, represented by defence counsel Lorne Goddard, was scheduled for trial by judge alone on Tuesday and today in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on charges including kidnapping, aggravated assault and uttering threats.
The trial was over before it began, however, when Crown prosecutor James Sawa of Calgary asked Justice Monica Bast for a stay of proceedings.
Sawa said he had been unable to subpoena his main witness, the alleged victim of the abduction, and was therefore unable to put him on the stand to testify.
Charges were stayed earlier against one of the adults, for similar reasons.
One matter remains outstanding, Sawa said outside of the courtroom.
Goddard offered no objection to the stay, which means the case against his client remains in limbo for up to a year. If there has been no action in the proceedings by the end of the year, the case will be dismissed.
Fraser remains in custody on other charges, laid earlier this year.
Late in January, he was sentenced to two years after pleading guilty to illegally obtaining and selling prescription drugs.
Fraser was arrested on Jan. 17 by members of the Red Deer ALERT law enforcement team investigating claims that he had obtained drugs including oxycodone, diazepam, clonazepam and morphine by using multiple doctors to fill the same prescription.
Police estimated the street value of the drugs at more than $100,000.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams are combined units comprising members of the RCMP, municipal police and Alberta Sheriffs.
bkossowan@www.reddeeradvocate.com