Tony Humby trial further delayed as judge permits defence to file new applications
No timeline on when pre-trial matters will wrap up in sexual violence case
The start of the trial for Tony Humby — a man accused of dozens of sexual offences against vulnerable youths — is being pushed back further, after the defence got the green light Thursday morning to proceed with a pair of last-minute applications.
Humby's trial on 72 charges was supposed to start March 3.
The defence initially asked for, and received, a two-week delay; the Crown consented to that.
The trial was subsequently supposed to start on Tuesday of this week, then Wednesday. But that didn't happen, as lawyers sparred over duelling applications.
Defence lawyer Mark Gruchy told the court he believes he hasn't been given all the relevant documents for the case.
That came after the Crown accidentally turned over something Gruchy wasn't supposed to see — something the defence believes could lead to exculpatory evidence.
Prosecutor Deidre Badcock strongly opposed the defence's bid to seek more records.
She said there was nothing new in the information Gruchy was given, and that his applications would only affect the case by dragging it out.
In the end, the Crown's application was dismissed.
The defence will now get the chance to seek access to documents from the province's child-protection department, and a police file related to a break-in at Humby's home after he was arrested but before the RNC secured the property via a search warrant.
The ruling Thursday by Judge Rolf Pritchard means the delay in beginning the trial will continue — with no timeline on when it may end.
The case will be back in court on Tuesday, for a hearing behind closed doors, to begin sorting things out.
There are only three days scheduled on the docket next week for the Humby case, then a week in April, before proceedings resume and continue for three more weeks in May.
Pre-trial matters have significantly eaten into the initially-allotted court time of roughly seven weeks.
Last week, Badcock said the pending issue was "potentially going to essentially blow things up, to the point that we are very concerned we're not going to be able to finish this trial in the time that's allotted."
Humby was first arrested in April 2023 and was initially slated to stand trial last summer.
That was postponed when he switched lawyers.
Humby has pleaded not guilty to allegations of sexual violence spanning nearly two decades.
His co-accused, Bruce Escott, cut a plea deal and was sentenced last month to 13 years in prison.
Humby and Escott were longtime neighbours in a trailer park in the east end of St. John's.
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