A man who was allegedly chased and shot by a farmer has been released from custody after he was detained on arrest warrants.
Harold Groening, 31, of Mirror returns to Stettler provincial court on Jan. 14 after he was released on $2,000 bail on Jan. 2.
He is charged with theft of more than $5,000, theft of less than $5,000, possession of stolen property and failing to appear in court.
Groening was scheduled to be a key witness at several trials late last year, including his own, but didn’t appear for any of them.
Authorities believed he was in the Vancouver area.
Groening was scheduled to testify at the preliminary hearing of farmer Brian Knight, 38, of the Tees area, who allegedly shot Groening on March 26, 2009.
An all-terrain vehicle was reported stolen from Knight’s farm yard.
Knight faces charges of allegedly shooting Groening in the upper leg and back with a shotgun.
Knight is charged with unlawful use of a firearm, pointing a firearm, possession of a dangerous weapon, assault with a weapon, criminal negligence causing injury, dangerous driving and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
In addition to Knight’s preliminary hearing, Groening also failed to show up for his own trial and the trial of co-accused Kyle Rosenthal, 24, of Alix.
The three trials were put on hold pending Groening’s status.
Rosenthal is charged with theft of less than $5,000. He had his trial rescheduled shortly before Christmas to June 22.
A third accused — Nick Dewald, 22, of Alix — pleaded guilty to theft last November in Stettler to theft and was fined $400.