Hearing set for Bras d'Or man charged after death of fellow partygoer
Yvonne Leblanc-Smith | CBC News | Posted: October 3, 2018 5:08 PM | Last Updated: October 3, 2018
Preliminary hearing for Hayden Kenneth Laffin set for March 2019
A young Nova Scotia man charged after a teenager was struck and killed by a car this summer has elected trial by Supreme Court judge and jury.
Hayden Kenneth Laffin, 21, is charged with obstruction of justice in connection with the June 10 death of 17-year-old Joneil Hanna.
Laffin, from Bras d'Or, was the driver of the car that struck and killed Hanna as he walked along Highway 223 near North Sydney.
Both had just left an outdoor graduation party at nearby Leitches Creek.
Police called to party twice
Cape Breton Regional Police had been called to the house party twice over concerns there were a large number of people drinking and there was a potential for fights and impaired driving.
Devon Edwards, a witness, previously told CBC News that police allowed Laffin to drive him home from the gathering.
Edwards said he saw Laffin have a drink at the party but could not say whether he was intoxicated.
Hanna's mother, Jenn, has complained that police should have given Laffin a sobriety test but they maintain they didn't think they had the grounds to demand it after the crash.
Jenn Hanna was among a group of people in the courtroom wearing sweatshirts emblazoned with the words "Justice for Joneil."
"I just don't understand how he could be charged with lying to the police, when they are the ones that let him go to begin with," she said.
Police have offered few details about the charge against Laffin, saying only that it stems from circumstances following the collision.
Victim's mom angered by process
Judge Diane McGrath set March 13, 2019, as the date for a preliminary hearing on the matter.
Neither Laffin nor his lawyer spoke the reporters following the court appearance.
But Hanna said the process was slow.
"It's very angering. We just want to get this done and over with, and for the truth to come out."
Meanwhile, the homeowners of the property where the party was held are due in Sydney provincial court Oct. 16.
Kenneth and Donna Wilkie are charged under the Liquor Control Act with allowing drunkenness on their property.