Three people accused of providing ammunition to the Nova Scotia gunman have had their case put over until March.
Defence lawyers for Lisa Diana Banfield, 52, James Blair Banfield, 64, and Brian Brewster, 60, appeared by phone in Dartmouth Provincial Court on Wednesday.
During the brief appearance, Brewster’s lawyer, Tom Singleton, told the judge he’s dissatisfied with the lack of disclosure of evidence.
He said 13 of the 14 court documents used to obtain search warrants are so heavily redacted that he can’t understand them, and he also wants a copy of the search warrant the RCMP used to obtain his client’s cellular telephone.
The lawyers said that they have yet to receive disclosure from Nova Scotia Crown attorneys and that they were not yet prepared to enter pleas for their clients.
Crown attorney Shauna MacDonald told the judge she intended to proceed summarily, meaning the case would be before a provincial court and that sentence length is limited.
The matter was put over until March 8.
The trio are accused of providing ammo to the man who in April 2020 went on a 13-hour murderous rampage in rural Nova Scotia, killing 22 people and burning several homes to the ground.
RCMP stressed that the three people had “had no prior knowledge of the gunman’s actions on April 18 and 19.”
Police investigators have said the violence began on the evening of April 18, when the gunman attacked and bound his common-law spouse Lisa Banfield in their home.
According to interviews given to the RCMP, she said she managed to escape and hide in a wooded area of Portapique before emerging at 6 a.m. the next morning and running to a neighbour’s home.
A former neighbour of the gunman had previously reported his history of domestic violence and a collection of firearms to the RCMP years ago and ended up leaving the community herself due to fears of his violence.
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The gunman was killed by police on April 19 at a gas station in Enfield.
“Though the gunman is ultimately responsible for his actions, and can never stand trial, we have a duty to investigate by the same standards that we would if he was alive,” said the RCMP when the force announced it had laid charges against the trio in December.
Recently issued charging documents now specify that Lisa Banfield is charged with two counts of transferring ammunition.
She is accused of providing .223 Remington calibre cartridges and .40 calibre Smith and Wesson cartridges as well as providing .223 calibre Remington cartridges.
James Banfield is facing one charge and is accused of providing .223 Remington calibre cartridges and .40 calibre Smith and Wesson cartridges.
Brewster is facing one charge and is accused of providing .223 Remington calibre cartridges.
The issue will next be heard in court on March 9. The trio is expected to enter pleas at that time.
— With files from The Canadian Press