The trial of a suspect in connection with the slaying of a woman in Calgary’s downtown Beltline district has been delayed again.
Defence counsel Kim Ross appeared before Justice Michele Hollins on Thursday and indicated he is still slowly recovering from surgery last February.
As a result, Ross told the Court of King’s Bench judge, he will not be able to conduct a four-week jury trial beginning Sept. 9, on behalf of murder suspect Michael Adenyi.
“I’m not in a position right now … to conduct this trial,” Ross said.
“I’m not in a position to run a four- or five-week trial of this kind of complexity.”
Hollins questioned why the lawyer couldn’t have withdrawn as counsel at an earlier date and allowed time for a new lawyer to come on board, but Ross said he discussed that possibility with his client.
“I’ve offered that to Mr. Adenyi, I’ve offered to step aside,” he said.
Speaking directly to Adenyi, Hollins said the accused won’t be able to use the delay to his advantage.
“You’re not going to be in a position to apply to have the charge dismissed because it’s taken too long,” she said.
Adenyi, 28, is charged with first-degree murder in the March 18, 2022 killing of Calgary woman Vanessa Ladouceur, in what police said was a random attack in the 100 block of 10 Ave. S.E.
Crown prosecutor Carla MacPhail said as long as Adenyi was willing to waive any period of delay between his currently scheduled trial and a new hearing date she would be okay with an adjournment.
“I can confirm that,” Ross said.
Hollins said she was reluctant to delay Adenyi’s case any further given its history.
“This will be the third adjournment of the trial,” she said.
“He’s been in remand for years with psychiatric issues. Who’s looking out for him?”
Adenyi’s trial was scheduled last November after Ross took over the file from previous counsel.
He was to stand trial beginning last Oct. 23, but after a jury was selected on the morning of Oct. 19, then-counsel Shamsher Kothari and Curtis Mennie successfully argued for an adjournment because of issues with one of their witnesses.
The lawyers later withdrew from the case creating the need for new counsel to take over.
Ross told Hollins that during June pre-trial meetings he was confident he’d be ready by the September date, but his post-surgery recovery has made that untenable.
“This is not a position I thought I was going to find myself in.”
MacPhail suggested a new trial date could be scheduled for next March 31, but Hollins said she would like to consult with the trial coordinator before approving that time period.
The case will be back in court Aug. 2, to confirm a new date.
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