Camp break-in suspect denies charges
Defence still plans to pursue psychiatric assessment for Matthew Duke, 28, of Saint John, to determine if he might be exempt from criminal responsibility due to mental disorder
Months after requesting a forensic psychiatric assessment for a Saint John man accused of stealing a shotgun from a camp near Fredericton, it still wasn’t done, so the defendant denied the charges Friday.
Matthew Duke, 28, of Lansdowne Avenue in Saint John, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Friday, accompanied by defence lawyer Michael Mallory.
The defendant faces Sept. 22 charges of breaking into a Peltoma Settlement camp near Tracy and stealing a Mossberg 12-gauge, pump-action shotgun from those premises; possessing the stolen firearm without a licence; possessing it knowing he didn’t have a licence; stealing liquor, food and ammunition; and possessing break-in instruments.