Warrant vacated for manslaughter suspect
Defence counsel for Tyler Totten, 19, of Lower Truro, N.S., says it’ll be incumbent on prosecution to prove causation of André Bourgeois’s death after Tannery assault last fall
An adult suspect in a manslaughter case arising out of an alleged assault in downtown Fredericton last fall appeared in court by telephone Tuesday, though it was about a week and a half late.
Tyler Totten, 19, of Lower Truro, N.S., is accused of manslaughter in the September death of André Bourgeois, stemming from an alleged assault in the Tannery, a courtyard area in Fredericton’s downtown bar district.
Totten previously elected to be tried in the Court of King’s Bench by a judge and jury, and he and his defence counsel, Brian Munro, were supposed to appear in provincial court May 26 ahead of a preliminary inquiry in the case to outline issues to be explored at that hearing this summer.
However, neither the defence nor his lawyer were present at that time. Suspecting it was an oversight and the result of a miscommunication, Judge Natalie LeBlanc issued a warrant for Totten’s arrest but held it in the court file to give him and Munro a chance to appear.