Court briefs
Officers to testify in murder case
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Friday, May 16, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Two RCMP officers will be the only Crown witnesses at a preliminary hearing later this month into the murder of 63-year-old Yvonne Desjarlais.
At a court appearance on Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Ryan Carrier said the two officers - from Surrey, B.C. - will testify via video at the May 22 and 23 hearing.
Both officers interviewed David Harrison, who is charged in the December 2012 murder, the court heard. Harrison did not appear in court Tuesday but was represented by his lawyer Caroline Wawzonek.
Court documents indicate Mounties had trouble investigating the murder, because Desjarlais' body was moved from the downtown alleyway where it was found in December 2012 by first responders before police arrived.
RCMP later requested a DNA sample from Harrison - the results of which remain sealed - and charged him with first degree murder on July 11.
Preliminary hearings are held to determine if there is enough evidence to take a case to trial.
Yk judges, prosecutors won't hear Mountie fraud case
A Yellowknife RCMP officer alleged to have faked his overtime paperwork will have judges and prosecutors from other jurisdictions hear his case, the territorial court heard Tuesday.
RCMP charged Const. Nathan White with fraud, forgery and uttering a forged document on April 1. They allege he fraudulently claimed more than $3,200 in overtime between Feb. 24, 2012 and Feb. 28, 2013.
Judge Christine Gagnon, a territorial court judge based out of Yellowknife, said local judges would likely have to declare a conflict of interest later on in the proceedings and have another judge hear the case. Crown prosecutors in Yellowknife are having lawyers from the Yukon prosecute the case, the court heard.
White is set to appear in court on June 24 to speak to the matter.
Gang suspects prepare for lengthy trials
Final preparations are being made to bring six people arrested in drug raids Dec. 6 to two trials - one in Supreme Court and the other in territorial.
Cody Stuiver, 20, from Aldergrove, B.C., Michael Hopkins, 26, from Langley, B.C. and Christopher Mathers, 26, of London, Ont., are charged with numerous firearms and drug trafficking offences.
Mathers currently has a warrant out for his arrest after he failed to appear in court or instruct his lawyer earlier this month.
On Tuesday, Jennifer Bond, the Crown lawyer prosecuting the case, said the accused are looking at having a trial in territorial court which could last eight days.
Another slew of drug charges related to the Dec. 6 raids involve Jaicob Randall, 18, from Langely, B.C., Travis Pigott, 20, from Surrey, B.C. and Gage McPake, 21, from Surrey, B.C., as well as Stuiver. They're charged with numerous counts of trafficking marijuana and cocaine in the days leading up to the raid.
Pigott and McPake elected to be tried by judge and jury in NWT Supreme Court, meaning their co-accused are bound to the same trial.
None of the accused appeared in court Tuesday, but had their lawyers sit in for them.
RCMP allege the accused are involved in the '856' gang based out of lower mainland B.C. They claim the gang is involved in crack-cocaine trafficking in Yellowknife.
Matther Jager, 30, of Calgary, Alta., and Stanislaus Cochrane, 50, of Yellowknife were arrested in the Dec. 6 raids as well. Both have pleaded guilty to their charges and are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming months.
Judge Christine Gagnon adjourned the matters on Tuesday until June 24, to set a preliminary trial date for the Supreme Court case and to discuss a pre-trial conference for the territorial case.
