Crown moves to speed up trial process in Gamon Leacock case

The Crown has moved to speed up the trial process for a man facing numerous charges, including aggravated sexual assault, assault and forcible confinement, stemming from a series of incidents in central Halifax in January.

Gamon Jay Leacock, 49, was scheduled to have a preliminary inquiry in September in Nova Scotia provincial court.

But the Crown has pre-empted the process by proceeding with an indictment, meaning the case will now go straight to trial. The process will begin next week in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

Leacock was released into the Halifax area in October of last year after serving a lengthy prison sentence for crimes committed in Montreal.

At the time of his release in October, Halifax Regional Police issued a warning to the public, describing Leacock as a high-risk offender.

In January, Halifax police said a man persuaded a woman to give him a lift in her car, then assaulted and robbed her. The woman pulled over and fled. The suspect took off on foot.

A short time later, the man entered a residence in that neighbourhood and confronted two women. Police said the man threatened, assaulted and sexually assaulted the women. They escaped and Leacock was arrested in a nearby backyard.

The arrest came about half an hour after the initial call to police about the incident with the woman and her car.

Leacock was denied bail and has been in custody since his arrest in January.