Start of Dennis Oland's new murder trial bumped back a week
Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon | CBC News | Posted: January 10, 2018 3:55 PM | Last Updated: January 10, 2018
Trial is now scheduled to begin Oct. 15 instead of Oct. 10
The start of Dennis Oland's new murder trial in the bludgeoning death of his father, Saint John multimillionaire Richard Oland, more than six years ago, has been bumped back by a week.
The new second-degree murder trial was scheduled to begin on Oct. 10, but it was changed to Oct. 15 during a pre-trial conference in Saint John on Wednesday morning.
Court of Queen's Bench Justice Terrence Morrison suggested the change, saying he didn't want jury selection to begin mid-week.
There is a publication ban on any other details about the pre-trial conference.
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Oland, 49, who has been free on bail for more than a year pending his new trial, attended Wednesday's proceedings alone. He sat in the front sporting a charcoal pinstriped suit.
He did not speak to reporters outside the courthouse.
All three of Oland's defence lawyers — Alan Gold of Toronto, Gary Miller of Fredericton and James McConnell of Saint John — were also present, along with the full prosecution team of P.J. Veniot, Derek Weaver and Jill Knee.
The Saint John Police Force's two lead investigators on the case and the head of the major crime unit were also in the courtroom.
The retrial is scheduled to last up to 65 days, the same length of time set aside for Oland's first jury trial in 2015.
The New Brunswick Court of Appeal ordered the retrial on Oct. 24, 2016 when it overturned Oland's Dec. 19, 2015, conviction, citing an error in the trial judge's instructions to the jury.
Oland was released on bail the following day and continues to live in the community under conditions.
He is scheduled to return to court for a series of hearings, known as voir dires, before his new trial. Those hearings will also be subject to a publication ban.
The body of Richard Oland, 69, was discovered lying face down in a pool of blood in his Saint John investment firm office on July 7, 2011. He had suffered 45 blows to his head, neck and hands.
His son was the last known person to see him alive, during a visit at his office the night before. No weapon was ever found.
Dennis Oland maintains he is innocent and his extended family has stood by him from the beginning.