Greg Fertuck, the man accused of killing his estranged wife in 2015, will have to seek independent legal advice as both lawyers representing him are asking to withdraw from his case.
According to the fiat, Justice R. Danyliuk said Fertuck filed a complaint about lawyers Morris Bodnar and Mike Nolin to the Law Society of Saskatchewan in May and June.
The document said both defence lawyers continued to represent Fertuck months later without knowledge of the reported complaints.
“I have not seen the complaints. Neither did the defence laywers until close to the end of August,” the Justice said in the fiat.
“It is fair to say defence counsel have been blindsided by this development.”
The judge didn’t outline the specific details of the complaints, but called the information provided to the judge regarding allegations by the accused ‘grave’.
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“Defence counsel maintain that the allegations are very serious, so much so that the fundamental trust underpinning the solicitor-client relationship has been irrevocably damaged such that neither lawyer can represent Mr. Fertuck any longer,” the statement read.
Fertuck is on trial for first-degree murder in the 2015 killing of his wife, Sheree Fertuck.
Sheree was last seen leaving her family’s farm in December 2015 to haul gravel in the Kenaston, Sask., area, about 85 km south of Saskatoon.
Her body has never been recovered.
Greg was arrested in June 2019 after a nearly year-long undercover operation known as a Mr. Big sting.
The document stated Fertuck asked to represent himself in the upcoming trial dates but said he is open to having another lawyer appointed to him.
Bodnar and Nolin will now have to file a formal notice of withdraw for a hearing scheduled for Oct. 24.
– with files from Kelly Skjerven and Ryan Kessler
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