A convicted killer has been refused a new trial by Saskatchewan’s highest court.
David Woods was convicted of first-degree murder by a Saskatoon jury in the death of his wife Dorothy back in May 2014. He was given the automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Dorothy went missing in November 2011, and her remains were found nearly two months later in a culvert near Blackstrap Lake, which is around 35 kilometres south of Saskatoon.
Woods’s lawyer James Streeton said Friday that he raised issues during an Appeal Court hearing last fall that should have led to a new trial or a second-degree murder decision.
Woods claimed, among other things, that his trial lawyer did not effectively represent him.
WATCH (Sept. 12, 2017): Why Saskatoon convicted killer David Woods believes he deserves a new trial
However, the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan in Regina disagreed and ruled unanimously against a new trial, according to documents sent out on Friday.
In the decision, Justice Peter Whitmore wrote that the proposed errors of the defence lawyer were weighed against the large amount of incriminating evidence.
“The actions and inactions of trial counsel did not prejudice the appellant,” Whitmore said.
“There was no miscarriage of justice.”
Streeton said Woods is disappointed by the decision and is considering his options. The Saskatoon man still has the option to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.
-With files from the Canadian Press
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