Al Potter charged with aggravated assault, uttering death threat in Ontario
New charges follow acquittal in separate high-profile N.L. assault case
A St. John's man recently acquitted of assault after a high-profile trial that had links to motorcycle clubs and allegations of witness intimidation is now facing charges in Ontario.
Al Potter is accused of aggravated assault, uttering a threat to cause death, and mischief related to the destruction of property in a home totalling more than $5,000, plus breaches of probation.
According to court documents obtained by CBC News, police in Belleville, which is two hours east of Toronto, charged Potter in June.
He was remanded into custody. A bail hearing is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
Potter was scheduled to appear at provincial court in St. John's this week on charges of impaired driving.
But his local lawyer, John Kelly, filed an application to have that trial postponed, due to the ongoing legal proceedings in Ontario.
Suspect in North River murder
According to an RCMP affidavit filed last fall, Potter is a suspect in the murder of Dale Porter.
Porter was killed on his property in North River during the early morning hours of June 29, 2014.
The RCMP arrested Potter days after Porter's death, but he was released without being charged.
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According to court documents obtained by CBC News, police seized Potter's belongings at the time of his arrest, and later obtained a search warrant for the locker where they were stored.
That search warrant remains sealed.
Crown lawyers recently filed a Supreme Court application that would allow them to retain what they seized for another year.
The police say they need more time, as their investigation continues.
"Some items seized under this warrant are being or will be analyzed by specialized experts," RCMP Const. Laura Purchase wrote in a June 26, 2015, affidavit filed at Supreme Court.
"This analysis has been ongoing but due to high demand for these specialized experts, all items are placed in a priority sequence which has resulted in longer wait times for processing."
The Crown application, which must be approved by a judge, is scheduled to be heard next week.
Acquitted of assault
Potter was acquitted in March of assaulting a man at a downtown St. John's bedsitting house.
Before that trial began, the Crown filed an application seeking to keep members of the public out of the courtroom, citing concerns expressed by three witnesses about testifying because of Potter's links to "biker gangs."
The judge rejected that request, but put limitations on gang colours and tattoos being displayed, and enforced strict courtroom decorum.
A contingent of Vikings Motorcycle Club associates were in attendance throughout those court proceedings.