New charges, no lawyer for Sussex man accused of sex crimes
After his sentencing on sex crimes fell apart, a Sussex man faces more charges and still doesn't have a lawyer, court heard.
The man, 26, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty in March to 21 charges, including sexual assault and sexual touching of a person under 16 relating to four people, three of them minors. At his sentencing in May, he refused to take responsibility for the sexual offences he was charged with in a pre-sentence report, his lawyer resigned and the case was adjourned to give him a chance to get a new one.
He previously pleaded guilty to sexual assault with a weapon and sexual touching related to a person under 16 from Oct. 27 to Nov. 28, two counts of sexual assault and a count of sexual touching related to a second person under 16 from Oct. 14 to 31 and two counts of sexual touching as well as uttering threats against a third person between Oct. 14 and 31. He also pleaded to a count of sexual assault against a woman from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 1, 2022, as well as a number of property crimes and breaches of court orders.
A publication ban covers the identity of the victims, and Brunswick News is withholding details that could identify them.
In June, he received new charges of making and possessing child pornography, as well as trafficking of a person under 18 and telecommunications with a person under 18 to commit an offence from Sept. 25 to Nov. 30, according to court documents. The charges appear to relate to one of the original complainants.
On Tuesday, July 2, the man returned to court to set a date for sentencing, with the guilty pleas still not officially rescinded, according to court documents. Duty counsel lawyer Margaret Gallagher said that the man will be assigned a Legal Aid lawyer but that hasn't happened yet. The man, who appeared in custody, asked for the case to be delayed to September to give him time to go over the case with the lawyer once the appointment is made.
Prosecutor Elaina Campbell said that the Crown wants to handle the case "as expeditious as possible" but the request would be acceptable if the man accepted responsibility for the delay. She noted the new charges, and warned that the investigation into the man is continuing. She said that the man's request for evidence disclosure would be best handled through his new lawyer.
Judge Anne Jefferies asked the man if he understood that his request could impact a later complaint over trial delays, and he said yes. She set the case over to Sept. 3, with the man to be remanded until then.
The man's other charges include failing to comply with release orders to have no contact with the complainants, not be around people under 18 and reside under house arrest dated from Nov. 19 to Dec. 2. He had also pleaded guilty to break and enter at Jubilee Hall in September as well as uttering counterfeit money and using a stolen debit card dating to 2022.
Andrew Bates, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Telegraph-Journal
