Closing arguments and presenting new evidence in the adult hearing sentencing for the La Loche shooter has been postponed after the prosecutor in the case has been appointed as a judge.
Crown prosecutor Lloyd Stang has been appointed a judge to the Provincial Court in Melfort and therefore can no longer work on the case. Prosecutor Pouria Tabrizi-Reardigan, who was assisting Stang, will take over the file.
The hearing to determine if the teen - who killed four and injured seven others - should be sentenced as an adult was expected to resume Friday in Meadow Lake after the case was delayed last week.
New evidence was put fourth last Friday, which prompted Stang to request the opportunity to cross-examine two defence witnesses.
Defence lawyer Aaron Fox filed a Gladue report, which looks at circumstances of Indigenous offenders when determining a sentence. In the report a psychiatrist and psychologist confirm the teen has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Judge Janet McIvor granted Stang’s request, but said the case must keep moving.
The case is scheduled to be back in court on Sept. 11 when lawyers are expected to determine new dates for the cross-examination of the witnesses and closing arguments.
The teen pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder in October. He killed four people and injured seven others in the January 2016 shooting. He shot two brothers – 17-year-old Dayne, and 13-year-old Drayden Fontaine – in a home in La Loche before going to the La Loche Community School and opening fire. He killed teacher Adam Wood, 35, and teacher’s aide Marie Janvier, 21, and injured seven others. He ran into a school washroom where he gave himself up after about 10 minutes of pacing around the school with a gun.
During the hearing in June, the teen apologized to the victims and their families. Fox said he's remorseful, but Crown witnesses testified otherwise.
Stang had previously told reporters the teen should receive an adult sentence based on the gravity of the offence, the impact it's had on victims and the community of La Loche, and because the teen was close to his 18th birthday at the time of the crimes. He presented evidence during the hearing that the teen became obsessed with the Columbine shooting and glorified violence.
A neuropsychologist called by the defence testified the teen's IQ of 68 is well below average. A psychiatrist diagnosed the teen with six disorders, including intellectual development disorder, conduct disorder, major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Fox argued the teen has made progress during his time at Kilburn Hall, and said a youth facility is the right fit for him.
The teen's identity is protected by a publication ban since he was 17 at the time of the crimes. If he is sentenced as an adult then the ban would be lifted.
