N.S. trial set to begin for six of 15 charged in vicious assault of Halifax inmate
A trial is scheduled to begin Wednesday at a Halifax convention centre for six of the 15 inmates accused of participating in a vicious assault of another prisoner at a Nova Scotia jail.
The victim sustained life-threatening injuries in the Dec. 2, 2019 attack at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth.
The union that represents correctional officers at the jail has alleged a large group of inmates formed a wall to block guards from reaching the victim.
Jason MacLean, president of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, said in an interview Tuesday the alleged assault in the jail known as Burnside left corrections officers shaken and fearing for their safety.
"It's an important trial because, historically, if there was any effort of inmates to act out, people got very little in the way of a penalty," MacLean said.
"It appears this time, it's taken very, very seriously ....There's quite a few people testifying, and it's important to the morale of the facility."
MacLean, who worked in corrections for about 20 years, said the union is eager for all the facts to emerge. "If there would be a time to pay attention to what happens in our facility, people should pay attention to this trial and the story of what happened that day," he said.
The first defendants facing trial are Colin Ladelpha, Kirk Carridice, Jacob Lilly, Wesley Hardiman, Omar McIntosh and Matthew Lambert.
They are facing charges of conspiring to commit murder, attempted murder, unlawful confinement, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and obstructing a peace officer.
Lilly also faces a charge of assaulting a guard in the trial before Justice Jamie Campbell of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
Court documents say the victim in the case was another inmate, Stephen Francis Anderson, who the corrections service indicated recovered from his injuries.
Rick Woodburn, one of the two prosecutors for the trial, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday the trials have been broken into separate hearings to reduce the number of people in the room and reduce risks of COVID-19 exposure.
He said the courtroom at the Nova Centre in downtown Halifax has been purpose-built for the process, as the accused each have their own lawyer and there is also space created for the public to observe with social distancing between seating.
He said the trial before a judge alone will begin Wednesday with the prosecution calling witnesses.
Eight other inmates are facing the same charges in a trial set for later this fall.
Woodburn said a 15th inmate, Sophon Sek, is facing the same charges but will have a separate trial.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man books $7,700 luxury villa on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he was charged more than $7,700 to book a luxury villa on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.