Man loses bid to get charges dismissed in case of body found in burned-out car

A Nova Scotia man has failed in his bid to get a slew of criminal charges against him thrown out because they've taken too long to go through the system.

Devyn Adam Dennis was initially charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder, as well as break and enter, interfering with human remains and arson. The accessory charge has since been replaced by two counts of obstruction of justice.

Dennis was one of four people charged in relation to the death of Robert Campbell, 51. Campbell's body was found in the burned-out remains of a car in St. Croix, N.S., early on the morning of May 24, 2020.

Dennis's case has taken many swerves as it made its way through the system, including a court order last year that forced one of his lawyers to step aside.

Earlier this month, his latest lawyer, David Hirtle, made a bid to have the charges stayed because the case was taking too long.

But in a decision released Friday, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Jamie Campbell said Dennis's case did not meet the so-called Jordan test.

That's the timeline established by the Supreme Court of Canada, which sets that cases in Supreme Court must be finished within 30 months.

The Dennis case exceeded that time limit, but Campbell determined that much of that delay can be attributed to Dennis and his defence team.

Dennis's trial is scheduled to begin in February.

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