Nova Scotia

Glace Bay man pleads guilty to criminal negligence in death of 4-month-old son

Jason Wayne Comer of Glace Bay, N.S., was scheduled to stand trial for four days this week, but he instead pleaded guilty Monday to criminal negligence in the 2019 death of his four-month-old son.

No agreed statement of facts, but Jason Wayne Comer will be back in court July 9 for sentencing

Jason Wayne Comer of Glace Bay, N.S., leaves Sydney provincial court on Monday after pleading guilty to criminal negligence in the 2019 death of his four-month-old son. (Tom Ayers/CBC)

A Glace Bay, N.S., man has pleaded guilty to criminal negligence in the 2019 death of his four-month-old son.

Jason Wayne Comer was scheduled to stand trial for four days this week, but he changed his plea Monday morning in Sydney provincial court.

The Crown attorney in the case, Darcy MacPherson, said a second charge of failing to provide the necessities of life will be dropped, because the criminal negligence charge is more serious and includes endangerment of life.

Cape Breton Regional Police were called to a house on Cottage Street in Glace Bay on Oct. 9, 2019, where paramedics were attending to an infant in distress. The child was taken to hospital and was later pronounced dead.

There was no agreed statement of facts presented in court on Monday, so it's not clear what happened.

However, MacPherson and defence lawyer Darlene MacRury did agree that the incidents leading up to the charge occurred between Sept. 28, 2019, and Oct. 9, 2019, inclusive.

Comer, who was 43 at the time, remains free on an undertaking with conditions, including that he not be in the company of a child under 10 years old unless he is accompanied by a responsible adult.

He is due back in court July 9 for a presentence report and sentencing.

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Tom Ayers

Reporter/Editor

Tom Ayers has been a reporter and editor for 38 years. He has spent the last 20 covering Cape Breton and Nova Scotia stories. You can reach him at tom.ayers@cbc.ca.