Jeremy Mackenzie, the de-facto leader of a far-right group called Diagolon, appeared by phone in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Thursday morning.
Mackenzie confirmed over the phone he had discharged his criminal defence lawyer, Dwayne Braun. Braun appeared in person to officially withdraw from the case, which the judge granted.
Mackenzie is charged with assault, pointing a firearm, mischief and using a restricted weapon in a careless manner after police received a report about an alleged assault near Viscount, Sask., in November 2021.
He was arrested on Sept. 29 in Cole Harbour, N.S., on a Canada-wide warrant related to charges laid by the Mounties in Saskatchewan in July.
MacKenzie was also charged in Nova Scotia with 13 firearms offences in January, and with harassment and intimidation in March after an anti-mask protest outside the home of Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health.
Mackenzie remains in custody after being denied bail at his previous court appearance.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 27.