Men accused in death of homeless man to have preliminary hearing in February

KENTVILLE, N.S. – The preliminary hearing for two men accused of killing a homeless man in a rural Nova Scotia community has been set for February.

The provincial court set aside seven days for the preliminary inquiry for Daniel Wayne Surette and Kyle David James Fredericks, who each face a charge of first-degree murder in the death of 62-year-old Harley Lawrence.

Lawrence’s body was found Oct. 23 in a burned out bus shelter in Berwick, a small town in the Annapolis Valley about 120 kilometres northwest of Halifax.

Fredericks and Surette both appeared in court but did not speak during the proceedings.

Police have released few details about the case, including how Lawrence died.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled to begin Feb. 9.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said Surette did not appear in court. It has been updated to reflect the fact both of the accused did appear in court.