Preliminary inquiry in Maugerville murder case set for 2024
Families of defendant Jodie Carrie Clark, 30, of Minto, and victim Alexander "Andy" Ladds exchanged angry words outside courtroom Thursday
A Minto woman accused of killing the man with whom she’d been living in Maugerville last fall will get a chance to test the evidence against her in a preliminary hearing early next year.
Jodie Carrie Clark, 30, originally of Minto, was charged in October with second-degree murder in the death of Alexander “Andy” Ladds, and she’s been in custody since her arrest.
She appeared by telephone in Fredericton provincial court Thursday for the purpose of scheduling her preliminary inquiry.
Such hearings are held to determine if there’s sufficient evidence to set more serious charges over for trial at the Court of King’s Bench, a higher level of court.
Lawyer Alexander Carleton appeared in court Wednesday as an agent for Clark’s defence counsel, Nathan Gorham, and he noted he’d filed a list of witnesses and issues the defence was seeking to examine during the preliminary hearing.
Crown prosecutor Rodney Jordan said he expects the preliminary inquiry would take two or three days.
Though the court initially offered dates in April for the proceeding, Carleton said Gorham wasn’t available until January.
Judge Natalie LeBlanc said the court had several possible dates for the hearing before next year, and that such a lengthy delay would be attributed to the defence should an argument arise in the future that it took too long for Clark to get to trial.
The judge scheduled the preliminary inquiry for Jan. 10, 12 and 15.
Ruckus in courthouse
Members of the Clark and Ladds families were both present for Wednesday’s proceeding, and they all streamed out of the courtroom at the same time once it concluded.
Almost immediately, there was some sort of confrontation between the two sides in the hall just outside the courtroom, and deputy sheriffs moved in to separate the parties and to settle things down.
It wasn’t clear if the emotionally charged incident was solely verbal in nature or if there was any kind of physical tussle.
Ladds’ family left the courthouse shortly thereafter, while Clark’s mother and other supporters remained to speak with Carleton.
A city police officer was also on hand, as was a detective with the RCMP’s major crime unit, which handled the murder investigation.
The RCMP reported in October that police and paramedics were dispatched to a home on Highway 105 in Maugerville at about 7 p.m. Oct. 9.
Ladds, who was seriously injured, was found inside his home and was rushed to hospital.
The RCMP reported Ladds died as a result of his injuries Oct. 10.
Clark was arrested shortly thereafter and made her first appearance in court Oct. 11.
She hasn’t elected mode of trial because with murder charges, there’s only one possible avenue: a trial before a Court of King’s Bench judge with a jury.
Consequently, Clark won’t actually enter a plea to the murder charge until the indictment is formally read to her at the outset of the scheduled trial.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.
Better keep her locked up she won’t be safe be letting out I promise