THUNDER BAY - The trial for Brayden Bushby, who is facing a second-degree murder charge for his alleged role in the 2017 death of Barbara Kentner, has been adjourned to April.
The Crown and defense counsel for Bushby held a case conference in a Thunder Bay Courtroom on Tuesday and Justice Helen Pierce granted the defense an application to adjourn the trial to April 6, 2020.
The three-week trial was first scheduled to open on Jan. 13, 2020, however, according to defense counsel representing Bushby, the adjournment was granted to wait for the Ontario Court of Appeal to deliver a decision in January concerning the law as it pertains to jury selection.
Bushby, 20, is facing a charge of second-degree murder for allegedly throwing a metal trailer hitch from a moving vehicle that struck Kentner in the abdomen while she was walking in the Cameron Street area on the night of Jan. 28, 2017.
Kentner later died in July 2017. She was 34-years-old.
First charged with aggravated assault, Bushby was later charged with second-degree murder following a review of the case by the Crown and the Thunder Bay Police Service with assistance by the Regional Coroner’s Office.
A judge ruled following a preliminary hearing that there was enough evidence to commit Bushby to stand trial on the charge of second-degree murder.
While counsel representing Bushby filed a certiorari application arguing the presiding judge at the preliminary hearing erred in his ruling and the committal should have been on the lesser charge of manslaughter, the application was ultimately denied.
The trial is still scheduled for three weeks.
