Lisa Defoe

The Crown brought an application under section 714.1 of the Criminal Code to allow a biology scientist from the Centre of Forensic Sciences to testify remotely by videoconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The defence opposed the application, arguing the Crown had not met its onus.

The court dismissed the application, finding no specific health concerns for the witness and concluding that the jury would benefit from hearing the highly technical evidence in person.

The accused was involved in a lengthy police pursuit while driving stolen vehicles, resulting in collisions with several police cruisers.

He pled guilty to numerous offences including dangerous driving, theft, and break and enter.

For the remaining charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and assault with a weapon against the officers, the central issue was intent.

Applying the W.D. framework, the court believed the accused's testimony that he was merely trying to escape and did not intentionally target the officers or their vehicles, resulting in acquittals on the contested charges.

The accused was charged with impaired driving causing death and bodily harm, and driving over 80 causing death and bodily harm, following a fatal intersection collision.

The court found that the accused's ability to drive was impaired by alcohol and that his blood alcohol concentration was over the legal limit, rejecting defence arguments regarding the maintenance and operation of the breathalyzer instrument.

However, the court acquitted the accused of the charges relating to causing death and bodily harm, finding that the collision was caused by the other driver proceeding into the intersection when it was unsafe to do so.

The accused was convicted of the lesser included offence of impaired driving, with the over 80 charge stayed.