Edmonton Love Scammers Misplaced Bid to Dismiss Responsible Plead, Assessed on Not often Harmful Prison Software

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An Edmonton romance scammer dealing with an indefinite jail sentence has misplaced an try to overturn a responsible plea.

In a pointy ruling Wednesday, Alberta Kingsbench Decide Melanie Hayes Richards rejected Jeffrey Kent’s declare that he was pressured to confess to defrauding 5 girls of about $170,000 in 2016 and 2017. backside.

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The king is contemplating a harmful legal software in opposition to Mr Kent, which, if profitable, may face an indefinite jail sentence with no risk of parole for a minimum of seven years. It’s the first time in Canada’s historical past that prosecutors have requested for a harmful legal designation in a monetary crimes case, an skilled instructed the Postmedia.

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Kent, one of many longest-serving prisoners on the Edmonton Remand Heart since late 2017, quietly watched from one of many heart’s videoconference rooms. The 53-year-old spoke to the Publish Media about jail circumstances throughout his keep, together with through the coronavirus pandemic.

Kent claims he was threatened when he pleaded responsible to 5 counts of fraud over $5,000 in April 2022. Every of the 5 expenses was detailed in prolonged factual statements that had been agreed upon, explaining how he met the 5 victims on the relationship app Loads of Fish. Kent used a pseudonym and claimed to be a physician, regulation professor, building tycoon, or worldwide hotelier.

Finally, he approached the ladies with fraudulent investments. A lady who agreed to lease a BMW SUV for Kent’s private use claimed that Kent had been commissioned by Air Canada and WestJet to design a web-based reserving service, giving Kent $100,000. loaned {dollars}.

In truth, Kent gambled at an Edmonton-area on line casino “virtually every single day” and attended the racetrack often.

Kent’s first protection lawyer, Anna Connie, negotiated a responsible plea in April 2022. At that listening to, defendant Hayes Richards accepted a response after asking a collection of questions to make sure Kent acted voluntarily and was totally conscious of the implications.

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However final October, Mr. Kent sued in courtroom to fireplace Mr. Connier and have his responsible plea overturned. He additionally despatched Hayes Richards her private letter, which she didn’t open.

Kent mentioned in her software that the petition was involuntary and that assist from Connie was ineffective. He argued that he had not been totally knowledgeable of the implications of the harmful designation and that the king had not disclosed all of the proof to the protection.

In an uncommon transfer, Kent waived his attorney-client privilege, permitting Connier to testify on the listening to.

Hayes Richards finally discovered no cause to dismiss the responsible plea. She mentioned she accepted Connie’s proof “fully” and had no drawback believing that the veteran protection counsel had adequately knowledgeable her consumer of the result of her plea. She took Connie’s phrase for studying Kent’s agreed assertion of information line by line.

Kent, alternatively, was “neither a reputable witness nor a reputable witness,” mentioned Hayes-Richards. She identified that he had a legal file of dishonest and admitted to mendacity below oath to an intimate associate and a court-ordered analysis skilled.

Mr. Hayes Richards doesn’t admire Mr. Kent’s allegations that the King hangs threats of acquittal, together with assault and sexual crimes, over Mr. Kent’s head, and the one proof for such claims is that the King It acted on what it mentioned had been “imprecise rumour feedback” from one of many complainants who by no means communicated them.

The choose additionally disputed Kent’s declare that the jail assault had elevated his credibility.

“I reject Mr. Kent’s declare that he has, so to talk, discovered the sunshine,” she mentioned.

The king has but to formally apply for designation as a harmful offender, however that will likely be topic to the outcomes of a psychological well being examination below Part 752(1) of the Penal Code.

Kent’s case will subsequent go to courtroom on July 18, with further trial dates set for later this 12 months. He’s presently represented by lawyer Janis Patel.

jwakefield@postmedia.com

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