The trial for a man charged in connection with a high-speed police pursuit that ended in the death of an innocent bystander opened with palpable tension in an Alberta courtroom this week.
Judge Expresses Frustration Over Delays
The first day of testimony in Peter Ashby's trial was marked by judicial impatience. Court of King's Bench Justice Maureen McGuire repeatedly sighed and admonished both Crown and defence lawyers, accusing them of dragging their feet on procedural matters. Justice McGuire pointedly reminded the legal teams that they had two full years to prepare for the proceedings.
The trial, taking place in Wetaskiwin, has already lost one week to pre-trial applications. One significant application saw defence lawyer Caitlin Dick successfully argue for the recusal of a Crown prosecutor due to the mishandling of a pre-trial interview with an eyewitness.
Justice McGuire warned that the trial might not conclude as scheduled and threatened to order both lawyers to clear their calendars for the following two months to ensure its completion.
Not Guilty Plea Entered Amid Evidence Disputes
On Monday, January 12, 2026, Peter Ashby pleaded not guilty to all ten charges against him. These charges include dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, flight from police, and assaulting a police officer. Ashby, who remains in remand custody, appeared in court wearing a white T-shirt.
A central point of contention on the opening day involved the admission of security camera footage as evidence. The judge accused defence counsel Dick of "obstruction" for her stance on several video clips the Crown sought to enter. Crown prosecutor Calvin Patterson also faced scrutiny from Justice McGuire for attempting to submit footage from a drug store that included extraneous video of members of the public.
The Fatal Chase and Its Aftermath
The charges stem from a tragic incident on February 24, 2024. According to police, Ashby was under investigation for parcel theft in the Beaumont area. When officers attempted an arrest, he allegedly fled in a U-Haul truck onto Highway 14, which connects Beaumont to Edmonton.
RCMP deployed a spike belt at 50 Street and 22 Avenue SW, just inside Edmonton's city limits. While the U-Haul struck the belt, the device also damaged three unrelated vehicles. One of those vehicles was driven by Kassandra Gartner, the 36-year-old executive director of the Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank. Police stated that Gartner was struck and killed by the truck after she exited her vehicle to assess the damage.
The pursuit did not end there. Police allege Ashby then stole a Honda Civic from a nearby gas station. A child was in the back seat of the stolen vehicle; Ashby allegedly dropped the child off approximately two kilometers away. He was arrested the following day in Wainwright, Alberta.
The first witnesses called to testify on Monday were store managers whose security systems captured portions of the chase, along with the police officers responsible for collecting that video evidence. The trial continues as the court seeks to unravel the events of that fatal day.
