Kyle Gilbert Nadeau, who has been charged with uttering threats to cause death, was released from the Edmonton Remand Centre after pleading his case to Honourable Judge Kathleen Williams.
According to Nadeau, the Bonnyville RCMP have identified the wrong person in an incident that has left the clerk of one of the local 7-Eleven stores shaken.
During his appearance in the Bonnyville Provincial Courthouse on Tuesday, Feb. 5, Crown prosecutor James Wilson detailed what is believed to have taken place on Feb. 1.
It was around 2:19 p.m. when local RCMP were called to a Bonnyville 7-Eleven regarding an individual who had just threatened to make the clerk "disappear."
The victim told officers a male had come into the store, pointed at X-shaped tattoos on his arms and said "b***h you'll be dead."
After reviewing video footage, police identified the suspect as 32-year-old Nadeau.
He was later located by officers, wearing similar clothing to that of the perpetrator, in the Sobey's parking lot, intoxicated.
When RCMP went to arrest Nadeau, he was verbally aggressive and difficult with police, Wilson detailed.
The Crown was opposed to Nadeau's release, claiming he was likely to reoffend and the safety of the victim was a concern.
During the bail hearing, acting duty counsel Damon MacLeod explained how this could just be a case of "usual suspect," because Nadeau clearly didn't have the tattoos that were described by the clerk as possible "kill marks."
Nadeau told Williams he had been at the store that day, but wasn't the person the police were looking for.
MacLeod highlighted the clerk's description of the tattooed culprit when he said "given the clear triable issues, he ought to be released."
While Williams noted Nadeau has been in and out of the courtroom almost his entire life, there's "clearly an identity issue," in this case.
She released Nadeau on a $1,000 no-cash bail. His conditions are to keep the peace, be of good behaviour, report to bail, attend court, not attend either 7-Eleven locations in Bonnyville, have no contact with the victim, not be within 100-metres of the victim, and not to be intoxicated in a public place.
His next court appearance is Feb. 19.
