Zinck preliminary hearing delayed again

A preliminary inquiry for MLA Trevor Zinck has been postponed yet again, prompting a scolding from the judge.

Zinck faces charges of fraud, theft over $5,000 and breach of trust in connection to an MLA spending scandal.

His lawyer was in Halifax provincial court Wednesday to ask for another date change for the seven-day preliminary hearing.

Lyle Howe said the legislative assembly would be sitting in May, and his client needs to be at Province House instead of in a courtroom.

Judge Anne Derrick agreed to delay the hearing, but still expressed frustration with getting the case to trial.

Derrick said she has been "struggling to get this airborne."

She told the lawyers there would have to be an extremely compelling reason to change the date again, unless they want to move it up earlier.

The preliminary hearing was first set for February. It was rescheduled for May last week.

It's now scheduled to start on June 11, when the house is normally not sitting.