By Sheldon Spackman

August 2024 Incident

Man charged in Red Deer break and enter scheduled for preliminary hearing

May 23, 2025 | 12:41 PM

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for one of two people charged in relation to a Red Deer break and enter last year.

Mark Douglas Ditchburn, 35, of Red Deer, is scheduled to see if his case has enough evidence to go to trial on Sept. 8, 2025, in Red Deer Court of Justice.

His co-accused, Jeremy Sanderson-Hayward, 37, also of Red Deer, was sentenced in Red Deer Court of Justice to five-and-a-half years in jail on April 10, 2025.

However, he was given credit for 339 days of pre-trial custody, leaving him 1,666 days or over four-and-a-half years left to serve as of that date.

Sanderson-Hayward was also given a firearms prohibition after being convicted on eight of 11 charges.

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Those counts include:

• Possess for purpose
• Obstructing a peace officer
• Carry concealed weapon
• Possess property under $5000
• Unauthorized possession of firearm
• Possess weapon dangerous to public

It was on Aug. 26, 2024, at about 3 a.m., when Red Deer Mounties responded to a report of a break and enter in the Parkvale area of the city. Upon arrival, officers reported multiple suspects fleeing the area and attempting to evade police, but say they were apprehended a short distance away.

Officers then searched the individuals and allegedly found a revolver firearm, ammunition, a retractable baton, bear spray, currency, drugs, and other items they say are consistent with drug trafficking.

Red Deer RCMP charged two individuals as a result of the investigation.

Jeremy Sanderson-Hayward was charged with the following offences:

• Possession for the purpose of trafficking x3
• Unauthorized possession of a firearm
• Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose x2
• Carrying concealed weapon
• Possession of property obtained by crime less than $5000
• Obstruct peace officer
• Fail to comply with probation order x2

He was taken before a justice of the peace and remanded into custody.

Co-accused Mark Douglas Ditchburn was charged with the following offences:

• Possession for the purpose of trafficking x2
• Carry concealed weapon
• Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose
• Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000

Ditchburn was taken before a justice of the peace and released on a release order.

Related: One of two sentenced in Red Deer break and enter

Related: Two Red Deer men arrested after reported break and enter