(Dreamstime)

By Sheldon Spackman

February 2022 Murder

Sylvan Lake man extradited to Thailand for murder trial

May 31, 2023 | 2:32 PM

A Sylvan Lake man has been extradited to Thailand to stand trial for premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit murder in what authorities in that country allege to be a gang-related killing last year.

Matthew Dupre, husband, father, and a former Canadian Armed Forces soldier, was extradited to Thailand over the weekend, according to his Red Deer-based criminal defence lawyer, Maurice Collard.

Collard says his client is co-accused in the death of international drug cartel leader, 32-year-old Jimi Singh Sandhu, of B.C.’s Lower Mainland. Sandhu was shot to death on Feb. 4, 2022, in Phuket, Thailand.

Collard notes, however, the only available penalty for such a crime in The Kingdom of Thailand, is the death penalty.

“I have received personal correspondence from federal Minister of Justice, David Lametti, indicating that he is satisfied with an assurance recently received by way of diplomatic note from the Royal Thai Embassy in Ottawa, that Mr. Dupre will not serve the death penalty,” adds Collard. “I and other members of Matthew’s legal team are not confident in this assurance.”

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Collard says Dupre, 37, served Canada for nine years, including as a veteran of the Afghan war.

“He further served voluntarily as a private security contractor in Iraq and Syria,” says Collard. “He fought terrorists, he watched his friends be killed in war. He did this so Canadians could be safe. He risked his life so we can have peace.”

Red Deer criminal defence lawyer Maurice Collard. (rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

Collard says he’s seen no direct evidence linking Dupre to Sandhu or Sandhu’s killing.

“Mr. Dupre was arrested in his bed, at his home in Sylvan Lake, at gun point, holding his newborn daughter that had been born in that same bed, just hours prior,” explains Collard. “He has been incarcerated in Canadian jail since that date, February 20, 2022, over 15 months ago, without charge or trial. He has not been able to be a father to his newborn since those few hours after she was born.”

On May 26, 2023, Collard says Dupre was removed from the Red Deer Remand Centre and put on a private plane to B.C. where he was met by Thai officials and transported to Bangkok on a Thai military flight.

“No commercial airliner would take the risk of transporting him. He is currently in the process of being interrogated and then will go through the Thai justice system,” says Collard, noting Dupre has always wanted a trial to contest the accusation of his involvement in Sandhu’s murder.

“He did not want to languish as he has without charge or trial for well over a year,” shares Collard. “He has instructed me to advance his extradition to Thailand, and I did so through various Court of Appeal and Court of King’s Bench applications that were filed. Mr. Dupre is happy he is no longer languishing in jail in Canada and can now start to fight these allegations.”

Collard says he is currently making travel arrangements to Thailand to meet with Dupre in a Bangkok jail, along with other members of Dupre’s legal team and members of the Thai Attorney General’s office.

“There is no greater jeopardy than the death penalty. I will continue to do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen to Mr. Dupre,” states Collard. “This is not about being an international hitman. This is about being a father, a veteran, and a Canadian citizen. This is about stopping citizens from languishing in jail without trial or charge.”

Collard says Dupre has no criminal record and has been cooperative with all authorities in Canada. He further adds that Dupre’s co-accused, Gene Lahrkamp, of Trail, B.C., has since been killed in a plane crash in northern Ontario while evading law enforcement.

“Mr. Dupre did not evade law enforcement at any time,” says Collard. “The cause of the plane crash so far as I know to date, is unknown.”

Since his recent arrival in Thailand, Collard says Dupre has been treated well so far by both Canadian and Thailand authorities. He adds, however, he’ll be working to ensure Dupre has a fair trial and a just outcome in the end.

“And that no matter the outcome, that the death penalty is not imposed,” says Collard.

“Despite what the international news media and the Thai government is portraying,” continues Collard. “There is a lot more to this story and we look forward to it being aired out in court and in trial and that it is very wrong to have a Canadian citizen jailed for 15 months without trial or charge.”

“Ultimately, he was being held as a result of a warrant issued by the Thai government that was being executed and enforced by the Canadian government,” explains Collard. “We then had to go through procedures under the Extradition Act, which we did, in order to expedite his extradition, as opposed to having him sit and languish. We took steps to force the government’s hand to either release him or have him physically extradited.”

Collard anticipates Dupre’s court matter in Thailand to get underway shortly in the coming days.