Legal issues have delayed the trial of Liam Stinson once again, with only a small amount of testimony coming through in Sudbury Superior Court on April 15.
Accused of first-degree murder and arson for his alleged role in the planning of an April 11, 2021, fatal fire at a Bruce Avenue townhouse, Stinson’s trial has been ongoing since March 18, but even with fewer witnesses testifying for the Crown than previously planned, much time has been taken up by discussion between defence and Crown counsel, and Justice R. Dan Cornell.
Much of the detail of the delay was discussed without the presence of the jury, known as “voir-dire”, and can’t be published until after the trial.
Previously, delays have also been attached to legal issues, at one point generated by local media arguing the publication ban that surrounded two witnesses, which was decided in favour of the news agencies. You can read more about that here.
When testimony got underway on April 15, GSPS digital forensic analyst Det.-Cst. Darryl Grisdale testified for the Crown.
The forensic analyst told the court that search warrants were executed at two Sudbury residences connected to Stinson. He said two cellphones were seized; both had the same phone number and both belonged to Stinson.
One of the cellphones had been snapped, but Grisdale testified a company called Cellebrite Advanced Services was able to extract the cellphone’s data and from there, take screenshots of messages from various apps.
He testified that in the hours following the fatal fire, the phone showed Google searches for Northern Ontario news, and a visit to a media site with a story about a “major residential fire on Bruce Avenue, multiple fatalities reported.” As well, there were several searches related to “sudbury hospital,” or “Sudbury hos”
However, during Grisdale’s testimony a fresh legal issue arose and the jury was excused for sometime. They didn’t return until the late afternoon.
“Members of the jury, I find myself once again thanking you for your patience and understanding that a legal issue has come up that has required a great deal of time and a great deal of discussion,” he said. “With the result that counsel needs some additional time to address the issue.”
Excused until April 16 at 10 a.m. Cornell offered a peek at the next day for the jury.
“The expectation at that juncture is that the Crown will finish with their evidence and what transpires after that remains to be seen,” he said. “I will advise you what will follow from that once we see what happens tomorrow.”
The jury has heard from 13 witnesses since the start of trial, including those who were with Stinson the night of the fire. Two witnesses testified to being party to starting the fire using Gatorade bottles filled with gasoline thrown into a home at 744 Bruce Ave. One testified the fire was started at the direction of Stinson.
Since the start of the trial, the jury has heard details of the fatal fire from emergency services, and the cause of death and toxicology of the victims of the fire, as well as emotional testimony from witnesses including David Cheff, who testified to his harrowing experience trying to escape from the fire that claimed the lives of his friends.
In addition to a police officer who testified Rose was scared of Stinson, Christine Wright, Rose’s mother, testified that her daughter tried on several occasions to leave Stinson, and once Rose told her mother Stinson threatened to kill her children if she left.
On March 27, the court heard from a witness whose name and identifying details are covered under a publication ban. The witness detailed the night of the fire, which they said was spent with Stinson, and testified they saw a large Gatorade filled with gas, and heard Stinson order the home to be firebombed.
Jenny Lamothe is a reporter with Sudbury.com.
