The trial for a Nova Scotia doctor police accused of trafficking tens of thousands of painkillers took an unexpected turn Thursday, with the Crown deciding to withdraw some of the most serious charges.
READ: Witness gasps at number of pills in drug-trafficking trial of Nova Scotia Doctor
“We dropped two charges. One was trafficking of oxycodone and the other was possession for the purpose of trafficking in relation to oxycodone,” Crown attorney Josh Bryson told Global News.
Bryson said the Crown made the decision to withdraw the counts after reassessing their case and realizing there was uncertainty.
“After two days of evidence, hearing from four witnesses we realized we didn’t have a realistic prospect of conviction on proving that the drugs were not delivered to the alleged victim in this case,” he said.
Police charged Dr. Sarah Dawn Jones in the spring of 2016, alleging she prescribed 50,000 oxycondone and OxyNeo pills over an 18 month period.
Judge Timothy Landry ruled earlier in the trial to exclude some evidence, including comments Jones made to the Nova Scotia College of Physicians, saying it was self-incriminating.
READ MORE: Judge excludes evidence from trial of NS doctor accused of trafficking drugs
Bryson said all the charges that Jones was facing are considered serious but penal-wise, he said trafficking charges would typically be the most serious.
Jones is still facing two counts of fraud and one charge of drawing a document without authority. She also faces one count of possession of a narcotic.
The Crown says they will continue to push forward with their case.
“We have a realistic prospect of conviction with respect to the remaining charges so we’re processing as planned,” Bryson said. “It’s going to considerably shorten the length of time that were set aside for the trial.”
The Crown now plans to wrap up their case Tuesday. It’s unclear if the defence will call any evidence at that time.
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