By Keith Lacey
A Sudbury man wanted on a Canada-wide arrest warrant has been returned to Sudbury after police found him in Medicine Hat, Alta. last week.
Sean Pickford, 23, failed to show up in court the first week of December for the beginning of his trial on uttering death threats and intimidation of witnesses scheduled to testify against him in relation to a stabbing incident outside a downtown bar Sept. 17, 2000.
Pickford made a brief court appearance Wednesday and was remanded in custody until this morning.
Because he's just been returned to Sudbury, new trial dates will have to be set for Pickford on the intimidation and uttering threats charges as well as aggravated assault charges.
Pickford was originally charged with attempted murder after a young Sudbury man was stabbed outside the bar and sent to hospital with serious injuries. Those charges were reduced to aggravated assault several months later.
Pickford and his brother Francis, 25, were charged in 2000 after a witness to the stabbing said he was confronted by the Pickford brothers, and a group of their friends, at another bar last March.
The threats came about a week before Sean Pickford's preliminary hearing on the aggravated assault charge was set to begin.
Francis Pickford pleaded guilty three weeks ago to attempting to obstruct justice and was given a 90-day jail sentence.
Francis Pickford will be sentenced Monday on a second count of intimidating another witness to the stabbing incident.
Sean Pickford is expected to remain in custody until trial.
