Preliminary inquiry dates to be set in Dieppe double murder case
Shane Magee | CBC News | Posted: July 24, 2024 8:28 PM | Last Updated: July 24
Janson Baker faces 1st-degree murder charges in deaths of Bernard and Rose-Marie Saulnier
Preliminary inquiry dates will be set next month for a Moncton man accused of killing a a couple in nearby Dieppe almost five years ago.
Janson Bryan Baker, 28, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder. It's alleged he killed 78-year-old Bernard Saulnier and 74-year-old Rose-Marie Saulnier on Sept. 7, 2019.
The charges against Baker were laid last year on the fourth anniversary of the discovery of the Saulniers' bodies in their Amirault Street home.
The case has slowly moved through provincial court since the charges were laid.
Crown prosecutors filed a request to prevent Baker from being represented by the law firm Gorham Vandebeek.
A hearing on that issue was held in June.
On Wednesday, Baker returned to Moncton provincial court, where Judge Ronald LeBlanc denied the Crown's request.
A publication ban prevents reporting the evidence given at the hearing and the judge's comments that led to his ruling.
The ruling means the case can proceed to setting preliminary inquiry dates. The hearing is held to determine if the Crown's evidence is sufficient to proceed to trial.
The preliminary inquiry dates are expected to be set when Baker returns to court on Aug. 6.
Alex Pate, a defence lawyer with Gorham Vandebeek, declined to comment as he left the courthouse Wednesday.