Trent Butt to stand trial on murder, arson charges, preliminary inquiry rules
Butt accused of killing five-year-old daughter Quinn, setting home on fire
Trent Butt of Carbonear, the man accused of killing his young daughter and then setting his home ablaze last year, will stand trial on first-degree murder and arson charges, a preliminary inquiry at provincial court in Harbour Grace has ruled.
Judge Bruce Short handed down his ruling Monday.
It means Butt's case will now be moved to Supreme Court, though it could be as much as a year before a trial gets underway.
The inquiry, meanwhile, began on Jan. 12 and included 11 hours of proceedings, the details of which cannot be reported.
Trent Spencer Butt, 38, has been in custody for nine months.
He is accused of killing his five-year-old daughter Quinn during the early hours of April 24, 2016 and then setting his Hayden Heights home on fire.
The case has been followed closely by those who advocate against domestic violence, and there's been an outpouring of support for Quinn's mother and her family.
A large crowd gathered inside and outside the courtroom in Harbour Grace Monday as Butt made his latest appearance, with many sporting purple — one of Quinn's favourite colours — in her memory.