Drug suspect no-show for trial
Police have intelligence that John Albert Knox, 48, of Fredericton, left New Brunswick and headed out west despite having outstanding criminal charges in capital region
A Fredericton man’s trial on drug-trafficking charges didn’t go ahead as scheduled Monday because a key element was missing: the defendant.
John Albert Knox, 48, of Corbett Avenue, previously elected to be tried in provincial court and pleaded not guilty to seven counts of possessing illicit drugs for the purpose of trafficking.
The Fredericton Police Force charges alleges the drugs in question were cocaine, methamphetamine, hydromorphone, morphine, Ritalin, clonazepam and psilocybin (magic mushrooms).
Knox also denied related charges of possessing a prohibited weapon (a taser) without a licence and possessing less than $5,000 believed to be the proceeds of crime.
All charges alleges Oct. 29, 2021, events.
When Judge Cameron Gunn called the case Monday morning for trial, while the prosecutor, defence counsel and police witnesses were present, Knox was not.
“I have not spoken with Mr. Knox since the trial date was set,” defence lawyer Edward Derrah said.
When he called the contact number for Knox he was given, he said, it went straight to voicemail.
“The police had some information he might be out west,” said Crown prosecutor Rodney Jordan.
Furthermore, he said, Knox failed to attend court in Fredericton for other charges earlier this year, and there are other warrants outstanding for his arrest.
The prosecutor asked the court to issue another such warrant, and Derrah asked to be removed as counsel of record for the defendant.
Gunn granted both the Crown and defence counsels’ requests.
Court records show that while he was facing the outstanding drug-trafficking charges from the fall of 2021, Knox was charged again for similar offences alleged to have occurred Nov. 17, 2022.
Those charges allege he possessed five different hard drugs - Meth, oxycodone, hydromorphone, Ritalin and clonazepam - for the purpose of trafficking.
Police released him on an undertaking despite the earlier charges, which listed several conditions for his release.
One of those conditions of his police undertaking was to attend court as required, and another charge alleges he failed to do so Jan. 27. He’s been at large since that time, with a warrant outstanding for his arrest.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.