City man to stand trial on firearms charges
Eric Niko Daigle, 43, of Fredericton, denies counts involving numerous rifles, shotguns
A Fredericton man is headed to trial at the end of the year after denying charges alleging illegal handling of firearms.
Eric Niko Daigle, 43, of King Street, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Thursday with defence counsel Wanda Severns to answer to three charges alleging firearms and ammunition offences.
He’s accused of storing numerous firearms - a Savage 30/06 rifle, a Cooey .22 shotgun, a Remington 308 rifle, a Cooey 600 shotgun, a Winchester 30/06 rifle, a Mosin Nagont rifle, a Dagger SAP6 shotgun, an Escort Magnum shotgun Mark I 303 rifle, an Optima 12-gauge shotgun and a Fusil Rapid 12-gauge shotgun - in a careless manner.
He also faces a separate count of storing a Savage .223 rifle in a careless manner and another charge of possessing a prohibited device - an over-capacity magazine - without a licence.
All charges allege events June 9 in Fredericton.
Severns said her client was electing to be tried in provincial court on the indictable charges and pleading not guilty.
Crown prosecutor Matthew Paik noted the trial is expected to take a day and a half, and Judge Mélanie Poirier LeBlanc scheduled Daigle’s trial for Dec. 12 and 13.
She also scheduled a case-management conference for Oct. 11.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.