New Brunswick

Quadruple murder trial in Fredericton to continue as normal Friday

The jury was dismissed moments after they were called in Thursday to continue the trial of the man accused of fatally shooting four Fredericton residents.

Matthew Raymond is facing four counts of first-degree murder

A collage of four people
Victims of the shooting, from left to right: Constables Robb Costello, 45, and Sara Burns, 43, and civilians Donnie Robichaud, 42, and Bobbie Lee Wright, 32. (CBC)

The trial of the man accused of fatally shooting four Fredericton residents will continue as normal Friday after a brief pause.

Earlier in the day Thursday jurors were dismissed moments after they were called in.

Justice Larry Landry told the jury a Supreme Court of Canada decision rendered Wednesday "may or may not have some implication on this trial."

Matthew Raymond is charged with shooting and killing four people from his apartment window on Aug. 10, 2018. He pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Fredericton constables Sara Burns and Robb Costello, and Donnie Robichaud and Bobbie-Lee Wright.

Raymond, 50, has admitted to being the shooter but pleaded not guilty. His defence lawyers are arguing he was not criminally responsible for the crime on account of a mental illness.

Lawyers discussed the implications of the Supreme Court decision and the trial will continue as normal with the jury on Friday at 9:30 a.m.

The court has heard from 14 police officers, eight residents of the apartment complex, a firearms expert, and seven nurses who treated Raymond at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital. A resident of a neighbouring building, the owner of a coffee shop where Raymond was a regular and a paramedic have also testified.