‘I didn’t rob that bank’
Trial for Chad Atkinson, 30, of Haneytown, in Oromocto holdup case set for December
A Haneytown man scheduled to stand trial next month for an alleged attempt to hold up an Oromocto bank professed his innocence again, suggesting it was ludicrous he’s in custody.
Chad Atkinson, 30, of Farnham Road in Haneytown, appeared in custody and in person in Fredericton provincial court Friday for a case-management conference.
He faces charges of attempting to rob the TD Bank and bank employee Samson Adeyemo of cash, possessing a Crossman Arms Co. pellet gun for the purpose of committing an offence, carrying a concealed weapon and breaching his probation
Those counts - to which he pleaded not guilty Oct. 3 - arose after RCMP officers were dispatched to the TD branch on Onodaga Street in Oromocto the afternoon of Aug. 30 after receiving a report of a robbery in progress.
Atkinson was arrested at the scene.
His trial is scheduled for Dec. 8, but the case was back before Fredericton provincial court Judge Cameron Gunn to see if any issues could be ironed out ahead of trial to make the proceeding go more efficiently.
But court heard Friday that defence lawyer Doug Smith had only just received Crown disclosure.
Furthermore, prosecutor Wesley McIntosh, visiting from the Crown’s office in Saint John to help with Fredericton plea court Friday, noted a different prosecutor was handling the case, and he wasn’t in a position to hash out any issues on the case.
Gunn said there was little point in a case-management conference when the parties couldn’t really discuss the case.
Atkinson - clad in jail-issue orange sweats and seated in the courtroom prisoner’s dock - expressed frustration, not just with Friday’s proceedings, but the charges in general.
“Your honour, this is just crazy,” he said. “I didn’t rob that bank.”
Gunn told him that was what would be determined at the trial next month.
He remanded the defendant again until that time.
In a news release issued shortly after the incident at the bank, the RCMP said a male suspect entered the bank at about 2:15 p.m. Aug. 30 and demanded money, telling staff he had a firearm in his backpack.
Once police received the call about the incident, armed officers in tactical gear surrounded the branch, the release said, and a suspect was arrested soon thereafter without incident.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.