THUNDER BAY – Deliberations in a murder trial now won’t start until next week.
Closing submissions from the Crown and defence for the trial of Monica Spence and Daniel Debassige were both scheduled for Wednesday but were pushed back a week due to what Superior Court Justice Danial Newton referred to as a “temporary medical condition” for one of the lawyers.
Not wanting the jury to begin their deliberations on Friday and potentially be sequestered for the long weekend, Newton decided to adjourn for the rest of the week.
Spence and Debassige are standing trial for second-degree murder in the death of 62-year-old Richard Spence, whose body was found on the bedroom floor of his Secord Street apartment on Dec. 21, 2014.
Crown prosecutor Rob Kozak presented evidence over four days last week while Monica Spence was the lone defence witness. Francis Thatcher, the lawyer representing Debassige, did not call any evidence.
The closing arguments are now scheduled for next Tuesday.
