NORTH BATTLEFORD – There likely won’t be a trial for a woman – facing first-degree murder charges – on her additional charges out of Swift Current, court heard.
Besides being charged in the death of Bradley John Ham, 24-year-old Cassandra Fox and 27-year-old Jonathan Swiftwolfe face charges out of Swift Current. They are jointly charged with theft of a vehicle, theft, possession of stolen property, firearms offences, and breach of court orders.
The court heard that the Swift Current charges are interconnected with the murder charges and need to be heard together in North Battleford court.
“We don’t anticipate these matters being set for trial,” defence Brian Pfefferle told Judge Daniel O’Hanlon Wednesday.
Those charges will be dealt with on Nov. 28 when Fox has a preliminary hearing on the murder charge.
North Battleford Senior Crown Prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt didn't oppose the adjournment. Defence waived the delay. Any period of time waived by the defence is subtracted from the total time delayed. A 2016 Supreme Court of Canada ruling called the Jordan Ruling stipulates that trials must be heard within 18 months without a preliminary hearing in provincial courts and 30 months for cases tried in provincial courts after a preliminary inquiry or in superior courts. Delays at the defence’s request are subtracted from the ceiling so an accused can’t slow the judicial process to their advantage.
Swiftwolfe also has a preliminary hearing scheduled for November on a murder charge in connection to 54-year-old Ham’s death. Ham's body was found near a grid road about 30 kilometres southeast of Glaslyn on Nov. 27, 2020.
The charges against Fox and Swiftwolfe haven’t been proven in court.
