The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Ted Barrett has been delayed so police can track down a Crown witness who failed to show up at court.
Barrett’s trial resumed in Sydney provincial court Monday morning, but only for a short period of time.
Barrett is charged with killing 21-year-old Brett Elizabeth MacKinnon, who disappeared from her Glace Bay apartment in June 2006. Her skeletal remains were found in November 2008 near a nature trail in the town.
Ashley MacDonald, Barrett’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his children, was supposed to take the witness stand Monday morning.
The Crown said it doesn’t believe MacDonald is avoiding testimony, but is living a transient lifestyle in Western Canada and is simply difficult to track down.
“It is a long time, but you have to remember the trial is actually set for three weeks, so we are still within the time frame of the trial,” said Crown attorney Kathy Pentz. “We don't anticipate any difficulty in getting it completed.”
The Crown said members of the Cape Breton Regional Police have been sent to Western Canada to try and locate MacDonald, with assistance from the RCMP.
Both the Crown and defence have said it would be difficult to move forward with the trial without first hearing from MacDonald.
The Crown is expected to call four more witnesses before resting its case. The Crown declined to comment on how the trial would proceed if police are unable to locate MacDonald.
The trial will resume Feb. 1.
