Bail granted for Lethbridge man accused of killing 9-month-old boy

Tyler Hogan appeared in person at Court of Queen’s Bench in Lethbridge Wednesday. He was granted bail at $50,000 in cash or $100,000 in a surety.

Some of Hogan’s bail conditions include:

• He can’t be in the presence of anyone under the age of 16
• He is not to contact any member of Austin Wright’s family
• Hogan must surrender his passport and remain in Alberta
• He has a strict curfew between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. seven days a week

Read More: Bail hearing set for Lethbridge man accused of killing a 9-month-old

Hogan was arrested in July and charged with second-degree murder in the death of nine-month-old Austin Wright.

Police said the baby was found suffering cardiac arrest in April. He was taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Hogan originally told police the boy had fallen and just stopped breathing.

An autopsy revealed Wright died of blunt force trauma, not consistent with a fall.

Read More: Lethbridge baby died at 9 months of blunt force trauma ‘not consistent with a fall’

Both the Crown and defence indicated they hope to set a date for a preliminary hearing at Hogan’s next court appearance on Sept. 16.

“Defence wants to set a preliminary inquiry immediately,” Hogan’s lawyer Tonii Roulston said. “We anticipate that the hearing will happen in 2017, so we want to set the date as quickly as possible.”

Judge E. C. Wilson from Calgary oversaw Wednesday morning’s hearing.

Read More: Calgary prosecutor assigned to Lethbridge man, accused of killing nine-month old 

Hogan has family ties to a retired Lethbridge judge, so the judge and prosecutor in this case are both from outside the city.