Photo of Tristen Smith from when a warrant was out for her arrest in April. Photo courtesy Prince Albert Police.
On Tuesday, Prince Albert court heard the woman who’s charged with helping an accused murderer escape from prison in April is pregnant.
Tristen Smith is accused of holing up with accused murderer Braidy Vermette after he escaped from prison in April.
The two were arrested in dramatic fashion in the Rural Municipality of Buckland outside Prince Albert about a week after the escape. The house the two were in caught fire near the time when police were there.
In April, Smith had been granted bail related to the charges associate with Vermette, but was arrested again at a later date for separate charges and denied bail.
On Tuesday, Smith was meant to go to trial for an unrelated probation breach related to having a cell phone contrary to an undertaking, but that was held up by further telephone intercept evidence that prosecution wants to use.
She was visibly pregnant and holding her stomach, and legal aid’s Ian Goldberg told court they want to move ahead quickly with the trial because she’s about five months from giving birth. That trial is now set for October.
A woman who identified herself as Smith’s grandmother was present in the gallery.
The charges Smith faces related to Vermette will be back in court on Wednesday.
Vermette is one of two men charged in the murder of Troy Napope.