Lethbridge man accused of holding women hostage and sexual assault gets released

A Lethbridge man who was accused of holding two women in his homeand sexually assaultingthemfor days has been released from custody.

Bernard Alonzo Gibson, 60, saw one set of charges stayed and pleaded guilty to lesser offences on the second set after the alleged victim died from unrelated causes.

He was handed a sentence of 18 months, which he had already served at the time of his plea.

• Lethbridge man, 59, charged with holding woman captive in home for days, repeatedly raping her

In March 2023, Gibson was accused of confining a woman at his home for two days before she was able to escape.

He was charged with sexual assault, unlawful confinement and assault.

Gibson was then released on bail.

2nd incident weeks after release

Weeks later, police were called to his Lethbridge home after his landlord reported finding another woman in the basement.

The 30-year-old woman was taken to Chinook Regional Hospital with injuries that were described at the time as "extensive."

Police believed the woman met Gibson outside of Lethbridge. It's alleged the woman was driven to the city, brought to Gibson's southside home and held against her will while she was sexually assaulted.

He was chargedwith a second set of offences, includingaggravated sexual assault and unlawful confinement.

Time-served sentence

In August, the Crown stayed the first set of charges. It's not known why, although the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service will stay charges if the prosecutor determines there is no reasonable likelihood of conviction or if it's not in the public interest to pursue the case.

Gibson was set to go on trial in Lethbridge on the second set of charges next week but the complainant died.

Instead of a trial, he pleaded guiltyto assault and unlawful confinement last month and was handed an 18-month sentence following a joint submission from defence lawyer Robin McIntyre and prosecutor Kathleen Tokaruk.

With credit for the time he'd already served, Gibson was released from custody.