‘I don’t have a clue what’s going on’
65-year-old Burton man whose sex-abuse convictions were overturned on appeal appears in court Monday to set new trial dates, but had no counsel, was confused about case
A Burton man whose convictions on sexual-abuse charges were overturned this year was confused when he was summoned to court to schedule his new trial, thinking the matter had ended.
The 65-year-old defendant appeared before Court of King’s Bench Justice Richard Petrie at the Burton Courthouse on Monday for motions day to schedule his retrial.
He had been convicted after trial and sentenced in January 2024 to five years in prison for touching his underage daughter for a sexual purpose between Jan. 1, 2017, and Dec. 18, 2018.
There’s a publication ban in place protecting the complainant’s identity, and given the relationship between her and the accused, the Fredericton Independent isn’t naming the defendant either.
He successfully appealed his conviction, arguing his defence counsel prevented him from testifying in his own defence. The New Brunswick Court of Appeal said that merited a retrial.