Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved RCMP assisting fire services, conducting traffic control, at a structure fire in #LowerSackville. The intersection of Stokil Dr. and Beaver Bank Rd. is closed. Motorists are asked to avoid the area. Expect delays. pic.twitter.com/fWwIQnQYcW There were no injuries when fire broke out at a townhouse in Lower Sackville on Monday morning Deputy chief Dave Meldrum with Halifax Regional Fire said firefighters were called to Cornerstone Terrace at 8:30 a.m Callers reported a lot of black smoke was coming from the house and that everyone was out of the building Meldrum said there was fire on the front and side of the two-storey home Firefighters attacked the blaze from the yard and went inside to see if the fire had spread into the home “They were able to obtain ‘all clears’ in the basement first floor and second floor,” Meldrum said “They knocked this fire down quite quickly.” The outside of the home was significantly damaged and melted siding and burned wood around an upstairs window were visible some trucks were clearing the scene and fire investigators were called The cause of the fire remains under investigation Subscribe now to access this story and more: Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page The British Virgin Islands is an explorer's dream with more than 60 isles and cays to discover Expert-backed tips and a step-by-step breakdown to ward off these pests We tried it: Filtrete Smart Tower and the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09 transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. A 15-year-old Lower Sackville girl who pleaded guilty to manslaughter for her involvement in the killing of a Halifax teen has been sentenced to 27 months of intensive rehabilitative custody and supervision The girl was one of four youths charged with second-degree murder in the April 22 death of 16-year-old Ahmad Maher Al Marrach who was stabbed during a group assault in a parking garage at Halifax Shopping Centre She pleaded guilty to the lesser offence in October and was sentenced Thursday in Halifax youth court by Judge Mark Heerema who said the joint recommendation from lawyers was at the low end of the range but was appropriate The girl will remain in custody at the Nova Scotia Youth Centre in Waterville for three months followed by two years of close supervision in the community “This was a cowardly act of senseless violence that took the life of a young person,” Heerema said in a 50-minute decision “While (the girl) is not the person who stabbed the victim her actions were instrumental in bringing it about it is my belief that it would not have happened.”  The judge said the attack on Ahmad was “a trap” from the outset “It was supposed to be a one-on-one fight over a girl,” he said “(The offender) and her three friends unknowingly changed the plan on the victim They baited him under the guise of a one-on-one fight “The four co-accused decided to arm themselves with knives and turned it into a three-on-one ambush with (the girl) filming the attack on her phone.”  The incident was also captured by surveillance cameras in the parkade “I’ve watched the various videos numerous times,” Heerema said “I can say that the victim displayed much bravery and strength in fending off his attackers a Grade 10 student at Citadel High School in Halifax who had six siblings died in hospital shortly after he was stabbed in the chest by the girl’s boyfriend That boy – a 15-year-old from Lower Sackville – pleaded guilty in January to second-degree murder His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June A 17-year-old Halifax boy pleaded guilty to manslaughter in October His sentencing hearing is also set for June A 17-year-old Dartmouth boy who had agreed to fight Ahmad one-on-one went on trial in youth court in January for murder The identities of all four teens charged in the case are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act The girl’s sentencing hearing got underway March 14 with evidence from a forensic psychologist who co-authored a risk assessment on the girl and from a provincial Justice Department social worker who oversees the development and delivery of IRCS sentences in Nova Scotia IRCS is a type of sentence that offers federally funded specialized therapy for young people with mental health needs who are convicted of serious violent offences the judge viewed videos of the incident for the first time and heard submissions from lawyers and a statement from the girl “I am so sorry for everything I have done,” the girl told the court I wish I could take away the pain I have caused.”  She said she should have stayed home that day or paused to reflect on what she was doing and has worked hard to improve herself while in custody “I am not the same person I was before I was brought into custody,” she said “I am not even the same person I was last week “I made the decision to plead guilty to manslaughter because I’m taking accountability for my actions I will keep changing and learning and continue to grow.”  The judge said that while he appreciates the girl was only 14 at the time of the incident and has reduced moral culpability compared to an adult “there’s a shocking absence of basic human decency or compassion in her and her co-accused’s actions.”  Heerema said there were multiple points where it appeared the fight was over but the girl’s actions caused it to continue He noted that as the victim endured about 55 seconds of punches and kicks from the three boys at the start of the altercation the girl can be heard swearing at him and egging on her friends She then commented on Ahmad’s “nice shoes” and instructed her colleagues to take his sneakers she armed one of her fellow attackers with a knife that he used to keep the victim’s friends from intervening When Ahmad managed to restrain her boyfriend she yelled at him to “get the f— off my man,” pushed him to the ground and kicked him in the head multiple times he tried to prevent her from taking his backpack Then her boyfriend plunged his knife into the centre of Ahmad’s chest The girl grabbed the victim’s backpack and ran from the scene with her boyfriend three of his siblings and some friends were in court for Thursday’s decision The judge thanked the family for presenting victim impact statements at a hearing in January “Our society mourns the absolutely senseless loss you have suffered,” Heerema said “Nothing I can do or say will fill that hole … I know how you loved your son and your brother and how cherished he was “I’m grateful to the family members for sharing with me their profound heartache and loss “I learned that he was a thoughtful and considerate son and sibling I was told how he assisted in raising his younger family members … I learned how we would often bring his family members little gifts or presents It was particularly difficult to hear how two days before he died he brought his mother flowers and gave a flower to each of his siblings.”  The judge said the girl’s home life was unstable at the time of the killing and she was spiralling out of control He noted that she and her family “tend to minimalize and rationalize her involvement in this offence.”  As Heerema gave examples of the girl’s mother’s attempts to blame the victim one of Ahmad’s brothers  was overcome with anger and had to be removed from the courtroom by sheriff’s deputies The young man shouted profanities at the girl on his way out One of the assessments performed on the girl found she is a moderate to high risk to reoffend violently and needs at least 200 hours of intensive therapy Heerema told the girl the victim’s future was taken away by his killers He said Ahmad will miss out on many milestones in life that the girl will be able to achieve “So what do you do with that?” Heerema said “I’m asking you to honour that by committing to making your life better “You will soon be given access to more treatment resources and programming than most people in our society The girl will be back in front of the judge a month before the custodial portion of her sentence expires The conditions of her community supervision will be finalized at that time This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Nova ScotiaNewsLower Sackville, N.S., hospital launches new ER number systemBy Natalie LombardPublished: April 24, 2025 at 7:53AM EDT During the small hours of a night in early February with his children snuggled on either side for comfort Gerrid Hunt admitted aloud that Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a bad movie That made it easier for him to admit to his teenagers Sleep has been hard to come by for the Hunt family but I accept now that even if I had’ve made it to those children we never would have got out,” said Hunt on Sunday Only an inferno could have kept Hunt from Alauna Marie Loppie Cayson Jermaine Loppie and Chloe Margaret Greenough-Steiger The same inferno that overwhelmed the children’s father when he ran back into his burning duplex on 1564 Riverside Dr Mandy Hunt and the two of their three children who have been reliving 1990s cinema with Gerrid during sleepless nights were in the yard on Jan “If you have a truck with a broken frame and you properly weld that frame that joint becomes the strongest part,” said Gerrid “Right now we have some cracks in our frames That’s why we’re going to do the hard work now working with counsellors and working through it And about a family recovering from it as they face being financially kneecapped and thrown back into Halifax’s merciless rental market “We feel like we’re being renovicted,” said Mandy on Sunday She was looking at a Form F filed by their landlord The notice states that their tenancy is being terminated due to damage to the Loppie-Steiger side of the duplex by the fire The landlord had insurance on the duplex and has stated his intention to rebuild it means they will have to seek a new home without protection from the rent cap that had made life affordable “Security and healing are intertwined,” said Mandy “It’s hard to feel settled when you are on slippery ground.” They both had decent jobs — Gerrid as a plumber and Mandy at the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp Courtesy of a government-mandated cap that kept rent from rising by more than five per cent a year on their side of a duplex they’d occupied for a decade “We had everything we wanted and anything else was within reach,” said Gerrid they found Tanya Loppie-Steiger holding the two-year-old she’d escaped the home with trying to get to their other three children Neighbours rushed out of their homes to hold Tanya and her baby Gerrid Hunt figured he knew the home’s layout having installed a toilet for them two weeks earlier the first time I went in standing up,” said Hunt “It felt like my eyes were going to melt down my cheeks all I could do was feel around,” said Hunt The floor was so hot he couldn’t touch it with bare hands took some deep breaths and crawled back in to grab his friend “I hammer-fisted on his chest and then his eyes popped open,” said Hunt ‘Where are the kids?’ I couldn’t tell him because I was scared he’d run back into the house The paramedics aren’t here yet and we’re not waiting here for them.” The fire was spreading to the backyard and fence A man whose name Gerrid still doesn’t know helped carry Jermaine away from the burning home The night filled with the wail of sirens and flashing red and blue lights Wearing breathing apparatuses and bunker gear to protect them from the heat Cayson and Chloe out to the paramedics and police officers the fire chief asked Gerrid if they had a place to go ‘I know Christmas was a month ago but it might as well have been yesterday; I’m broke So two hours after being woken by the fire they walked back into their side of the duplex “We had no idea of anybody’s condition,” said Mandy Everything in the house was covered by a layer of soot The fire occurred early Saturday morning and their tenants’ insurance company went to work trying to find them a place to stay the following Monday But for the six days until an Airbnb was found they lived in their side of the duplex with the windows open for ventilation of the deep smoke smell wearing winter coats and with the heat blasted against temperatures that plunged each night in the middle of feeling what you would be feeling at your children’s wake “That was the moment that I accepted I did do something the Hunts continued to pay its utilities based upon the expectation that once their side had been professionally cleaned they could move back in Not only was their rent affordable due to the cap but their children went to surrounding schools and had friends nearby “Then we learned that work would need to be done on the other side and we’d be out for four months and then it was ‘maybe six months,’” said Mandy there’s light at the end of this tunnel.’” which cost $7,300 for their first three weeks was quickly gobbling up the money available for temporary accommodation in their insurance Realizing their financial situation was becoming untenable Gerrid reached out to a woman he’d met at the funeral for the children “I can’t say enough about what this meant for our family,” said Gerrid The move brought the Hunts a financial reprieve and allowed them to start building a new sense of normalcy as they attempted to plan for their family’s future They received a series of text messages from Jake Hubbard Attached to it was a completed Form F from the Nova Scotia Residential Tenancies Program The “notice to quit” informed the Hunts their tenancy at Riverside Drive would end March 1 and they must remove their belongings from the property it states “the premise is no longer liveable because of fire.” Hubbard directed inquiries from The Chronicle Herald to the tenancy board He said he is still working with the insurance company and that the duplex “might be torn down they might not; I don’t have answers for you.” Residential Tenancies Program spokeswoman Sue McKeage said a Form F “is not an official eviction order It is not based on a decision of the Residential Tenancies Program they can tell their landlord they don’t want to leave.” The Hunts didn’t remove their belongings because they wanted to go back which is an application for review by the Residential Tenancies Program but we still want to be courteous to our landlord because we’d always thought he was a great guy,” said Gerrid The Hunts keep placing one foot in front of the other and keep in touch with Tanya and Jermain as that family lives their unimaginable grief They’ve found solace in the many kindnesses that have come their way from supportive employers is the only cure for the negative thoughts,” said Hunt “Right now it’s more about certainty for their future,” GladEyes said “They were in their home for almost 10 years They had to leave essentially with a backpack This is about trying to help establish them as they move forward.” to catch the family up on outstanding bills and help them restart their lives But they’re intent on sanding them down to bright steel and welding them stronger than ever A six-year-old girl has died as a result of injuries sustained in a house fire early Saturday morning in Lower Sackville Friends and neighbours are rallying around the family “This is an entire family and they are together mourning,” said Alyssa Martin “We’re working to make sure they don’t have to worry about anything other than recovering moving forward and being there for their children who are currently fighting for their lives.” The fire broke out in the duplex on Riverside Drive at around 3 a.m was able to escape the house with one of the four children Neighbour Gerrid Hunt crawled into the burning home and managed to pull out the father whom he found overwhelmed by the smoke on the floor Halifax Fire and Emergency Services arrived along with Emergency Health Services and RCMP Fire crews attacked the fire which was heavily involved on both floors and rescued the three remaining children Martin is the admin of a GoFundMe which was set up by Alyssa Porter to raise funds so their financial struggles can be alleviated The father is an industrial painter and the main breadwinner of the family “They are a family that would do anything for anybody,” said Martin “They have showed this time and time again They deserve any love our community can show them.” Funds raised are being transferred to the mother the family lost all their possession and their two dogs “Halifax Professional Fire Fighters are heartbroken by the serious house fire that occurred in Lower Sackville early (Saturday) morning and community affected by the tragic incident,” reads a statement from Halifax Professional Fire Fighters “We extend our gratitude and unwavering support to our members who responded with professionalism and courage under such difficult circumstances We also acknowledge the paramedics from EHS for their swift and dedicated response to the incident.” Nova ScotiaNewsVolunteers hold affordable food market in Lower Sackville, N.S.By Jennifer HeudesPublished: March 03, 2025 at 6:02AM EST Maybe one day Evie Hunter will be so well known for her skill and will have sat through so many interviews the little Lower Sackville skateboarding prodigy is so unaffected that after explaining to a much this nine-year-old has a skateboard sponsor and then I didn’t really like it that much at the beginning because it was kind of boring since I didn’t know how to do anything,” Evie remembers “When I got better at doing stuff and got more confident said the time span from when her daughter thought of skateboarding as cold and boring to being obsessed with it was three days “She took to it and never wanted to stop,” said Sharpe I feel like there’s so much confidence that skateboarding brings there’s no competition against other people It is the most welcoming and kind community The Hunter family skateboards at The Hub in Burnside which is where Sharpe started to wear out the video function on her phone and where Evie finally mastered the trick that has brought her a measure of Internet fame she does not give up until she does what she wants to do I think she started trying in September and was only seven when she started trying it and trying it all the way until June when she landed it trying and trying and trying,” said Sharpe her mother lived up to a bargain that a successful kickflip meant Evie could post a video online so she watches the posts of a lot of other girls her age so of course she wanted to make her own videos and I’m very reserved with stuff like that,” Sharpe said because I never thought she’d be able to do that so we made an (Instagram) account and uploaded it View this post on Instagram A post shared by Evie (@skatingwithevie) the owner of Partner Skateboards in Dartmouth which led to him sponsoring her and is why Sharpe doesn’t have skateboards as a line item in the family budget “If you have a kid that’s really dedicated she’s going to go through shoes every two months Evie said older kids at The Hub have coached and helped her sometimes just by holding her hands when she does a trick always wearing a full complement of protective equipment of which her (tiny) shin pads are her favourite “I also really like my helmet because it protects my head.” Evie said she doesn’t talk about skateboarding at Millwood Elementary that much but “some” of her Grade 3 classmates know about it like I told them when I got sponsored,” she said “Macy in my class looked at some of my videos A shroud of sorrow and sadness enveloped the Rock Church on Tuesday afternoon neighbours and friends gathered to pay their last respects for children Alauna and Cayson Loppie and Chloe Greenough Steiger 11 fire at the Riverside Drive duplex in Lower Sackville where the Loppies resided Most of the people arriving for the funeral service moved quietly into the church auditorium “The reason that all of us so identify with this tragedy is because we know that this could have been our home this could have been our family,” said Rev “Today we are here to support and strengthen and ask for the Lord to be with us as well.” Three caskets adorned with photos and flowers were arranged in front of the auditorium stage a larger wooden casket for Alauna Marie Loppie in the middle and smaller white and blue coffins for Chloe Margaret (Clo-Clo) Greenough Steiger A looping video of the three smiling and laughing children the Loppie siblings and their special cousin played on the big screen behind the stage lectern for more than an hour before the service began The trio were videoed enjoying each other’s company at the beach trick-or-treating and celebrating birthdays The order of events for the hour-long service separated the memorials into three segments but the lives of the three children were so magically intertwined that each teary-eyed speaker could not present a story or memory of one child without bringing the other two into the narrative Messages of condolences and heartbreak were printed on Alauna’s coffin a memory shouldn’t have been one of them,” read one message Alauna was remembered as an “old soul” who cared deeply for everyone The Grade 4 student at Cavalier Drive Elementary loved shopping the colour purple and time spent at the Beech Brook campground with family practising taekwondo and participating in the Beavers the colour purple and playing with her baby dolls and Barbies Cayson loved superheroes of all capes and sizes and Haughn remarked that he became a superhero by donating organs so someone else could live The Grade Primary student at Cavalier Drive was described as a perfect mix of sweet and spicy who relished both loving and tormenting his sisters The funeral program said Alauna and Cayson will be forever missed by their parents Chloe will be forever missed by parents Charles and Natalie Haughn said if the three children were asked by those waiting for them on the other side what their lives were like on Earth they would respond that it was full of fun camping and people who really loved them and told them they were loved “a life minus all the hardships and heartaches that come to us later in life We’re all thinking that they won’t get to see this and they won’t get to see that but along with all the things that are good that perhaps they won’t do there is an awful lot of hurt and sadness that comes in life the longer you live that they will also miss.” Haughn said grief is the price of life and the families of the children have to let themselves grieve in healthy ways “As these children grow and develop in the presence of God “How do you go on after a tragedy like this How do you get up and smile again and just have joy in your life once more “I bet you that just about everybody in this place would give a year of your life and give it to one of them to add another year to theirs choose to be thankful that they’ve been here choose to remember them with gratitude that they blessed your life “I believe that’s what they would have wanted you to do.” Nova ScotiaNews‘They’re broken’: Two more children die after house fire in Lower Sackville, N.S.By Sean MottPublished: January 14, 2025 at 5:44PM EST A five-year-old boy who died in a Lower Sackville house fire Saturday had his organs donated Thursday A “hero’s walk” was held at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax as Cayson Jermaine Loppie was wheeled to the operating room with family “As a very close family member of both a previous donor and a childhood heart transplant recipient I know all too well the beauty of organ donation,” said Alyssa Martin “My 13-year-old cousin is alive today because he received a heart at five years old.” Cayson’s nine-year-old sibling and another child also died as a result of injuries from the fire that occurred at about 3 a.m The three had all been rescued from the fire by Halifax Fire and Emergency crews The family’s mother escaped from the home with her two-year-old was dragged out by a neighbour who rushed into the burning building before emergency crews arrived who lost all their possessions and two pets The RCMP has found no wrongdoing in connection with the fire investigators can say that the fire is not believed to be suspicious,” read a written statement from the RCMP on Tuesday led by (Halifax Fire and Emergency) with assistance from the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service and the Office of the Fire Marshal Our thoughts are with the victims’ loved ones at this difficult time.” The tiny home community was built through a partnership including the Province The Atlantic Community Shelters Society provides wraparound supports including counselling Rent in the community is capped at 30 per cent of a tenant’s income which could include employment earnings or support from government programs such as employment insurance Residents have been chosen from the HRM By-Name List of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia Each unit has a private washroom with a shower Update 3:20 p.m.: Sackville Dr. in #LowerSackville has reopened Two of the children rescued from a Saturday morning house fire in Lower Sackville have died and a third is being kept alive until his organs can be donated who had been overwhelmed by smoke and was dragged from the burning home by neighbour Gerrid Hunt Family friend Alyssa Martin confirmed the extent of the tragedy Tuesday afternoon The RCMP has found no wrongdoing in the fire that ultimately took the lives of three children investigators can say that the fire is not believed to be suspicious,” reads a written statement from the RCMP on Tuesday Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.” Friends and the community continue to rally around the surviving members of the Loppie-Steiger family fire broke out in the family’s duplex on Riverside Drive The mother escaped with their two-year-old Halifax Fire and Emergency Services crews attacked the blaze and rescued the three other children who attended along with RCMP and Halifax Regional Police The surviving family members have asked for privacy Martin said there have been offers of accommodation for the family Those who wish to help can donate to the GoFundMe or show support by placing a stuffed animal on their porch and posting a picture to social media Looking east at the new exit from Highway 102 to Highway 107 in Lower Sackville (Communications Nova Scotia) Drivers will have a safer and more efficient route from Lower Sackville to Dartmouth with the opening of the Sackville-Bedford-Burnside Connector The new nine-kilometre extension of Highway 107 will open later today The extension connects Highway 102 in Lower Sackville to the existing Highway 107 from Burnside to Musquodoboit Harbour “The new extension of Highway 107 will create more efficient routes for people to travel and help reduce congestion and accidents that are currently seen on Magazine Hill projects like this are also important to help support those who want to come and live in our great province.” The Province invested $151.1 million in this project The federal government contributed $86.5 million through the New Build Canada Fund and Halifax Regional Municipality invested $14.8 million More project information is available at: https://novascotia.ca/tran/highways/highway-107-extension.pdf Nova Scotia’s Five-Year Highway Improvement Plan: https://novascotia.ca/tran/highways/hwyconstruction.asp Department of Public Works on X: https://x.com/NS_PublicWorks Police are asking for the public’s help finding a Lower Sackville man currently wanted on a province-wide arrest warrant. Mounties said 30-year-old Damon Rees is wanted and facing charges of aggravated assault, assault by choking and breach of probation. He’s described as 5’7″ tall, 165 pounds with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Police said they have made several attempts to find Rees, and are now asking for the public’s help. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to not approach him and to instead contact police or Crime Stoppers. The woman who says she was sexually assaulted by five former world junior hockey players faced cross-examination, as defence council questioned what she said happened in a London hotel room in 2018. Michelle Mackey reports. Olympic silver medalist Elvis Stojko is currently on tour with Stars on Ice and made a pit stop to talk about the tour and his need for speed on the racetrack with CityNews’ Sports reporter Lindsay Dunn. A ship with humanitarian aid bound for Gaza was 'bombed' near Malta, according to organizers. Erica Natividad with the details. The London, ON courtroom heard from the woman who says she was sexually assaulted by five former Canadian world junior hockey players. Michelle Mackey reports on what she says happened on the night in question in 2018. Prime Minister Mark Carney laid out his government's plans, which don't include a coalition with the NDP. Carney is also allowing Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre to run in an Alberta byelection. Glen McGregor breaks down the developments. Now New and Improved! Listen live to NewsRadio Halifax anytime and get breaking-news, traffic, and weather from CityNews Halifax – available for both Android and iOS. three children hospitalized after Lower Sackville fireFour people were hospitalized after a house fire in Lower Sackville early Saturday morning were hospitalized after a house fire in Lower Sackville early Saturday morning EHS and Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services responded to a report of a house fire on Riverside Drive in Lower Sackville according to a media advisory by Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency a 37-year-old female and a two-year-old child safely exited the home and were not injured was rescued by a neighbour and transported to hospital by EHS and remains in critical condition who were transported to the hospital via EHS The condition of those hospitalized is unavailable at this time they discovered a 2-storey residential duplex with heavy fire involvement on multiple levels of one unit The firefighters encountered low visibility due to smoke and high heat on multiple levels of the home Firefighters rescued the occupants and declared the fire under control at about 4:20 a.m Approximately 10 fire vehicles and 35 firefighters responded to the incident The cause of the fire is under investigation granted bail in Nova Scotia Court of Appeal A former youth group leader at a Bedford church is appealing his convictions for historical sexual offences involving two 14-year-old girls of Lower Sackville stood trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court last year on a total of eight charges in relation to two members of the church group The identities of the complainants are protected by a publication ban Justice Denise Boudreau found Wetmore guilty on two counts of inviting someone under the age of 16 to touch him for a sexual purpose and one count of sexual assault The sexual assault charge was stayed prior to sentencing because the facts were covered by one of the sexual invitation convictions Wetmore was sentenced to three years in prison The judge ordered him to register as a sex offender for 20 years and provide a sample of his DNA for a national databank She also prohibited him from having firearms for 10 years after he gets out of prison the judge accepted the complainants’ testimony that Wetmore invited them to give him oral sex during separate incidents on a walking trail in Lower Sackville in the summer of 2009 One of the girls was able to talk her way out of the situation developed online friendships with the girls and got them to talk about personal events and issues the complainants said they agreed to appear topless on their webcams and Wetmore eventually made the demands for oral sex Wetmore was acquitted on another charge of sexual assault two counts of sexual exploitation and two counts of luring a child under the age of 16 for the purpose of committing a sexual offence filed a notice of appeal in the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal two weeks ago Giacomantonio claims the trial judge erred by failing to apply the law correctly in her analysis of the defence’s pre-trial application to have the charges stayed because of unreasonable delay The trial was originally set for May 2023 but was rescheduled for the next available five-day block in May 2024 which was beyond the 30-month Jordan ceiling Wetmore says Boudreau erred in finding the entire one-year adjournment was “caused by the defence,” with a “marked indifference” towards delay “coupled with an implied waiver by the defence.” He maintains the judge was in error when she failed to attribute any delay to the Crown’s late preparation and change in trial strategy “This includes a decision to call a witness in breach of an earlier agreement not to pursue that evidence,” the notice says in failing to attribute any delay to the “under-resourced court scheduling process,” which resulted in a one-year adjournment of a week-long trial Wetmore claims the judge failed to give meaningful reasons for rejecting the defence theory of a motive for one of the complainants to lie and of collusion between the two women He also says Boudreau misapprehended evidence of a motive to fabricate or collude The appellant wants the convictions quashed and acquittals entered Wetmore appeared in Appeal Court on Thursday to apply for bail pending appeal Justice Cindy Bourgeois released him on a $20,000 bail order secured by pledges by his sureties The judge said she was satisfied Wetmore had met the burden of establishing that his appeal has merit that he is not a flight risk and that his detention is not necessary in the public interest The bail order requires Wetmore to live with his parents in Lower Sackville and observe a 10 p.m.-6 a.m He is prohibited from possessing any firearms having contact with the complainants or being within 200 metres of their homes The judge also banned Wetmore from working or volunteering in any capacity involving anyone under the age of 16 and from attending any school ground community centre or other places known to be frequented by children Bourgeois insisted on a condition that says Wetmore cannot communicate with or be around anyone under 16 unless he’s in the immediate presence of one of his sureties The appeal will be heard by an Appeal Court panel June 12 The bail order stipulates Wetmore must surrender himself into custody at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth the day before the appeal decision is released Wetmore and his parents confirmed to the judge they understood the terms of his release to have parents who are supporting you in the way that they are,” Bourgeois said Wetmore also faces historical charges of sexual assault and child luring in Dartmouth provincial court involving a third girl from the church group That trial sat for three days in September and one day in December with Judge Del Atwood reserving his decision until February AtlanticNewsNew highway between Lower Sackville, Dartmouth to open FridayBy Leigha KaiserPublished: December 20, 2024 at 1:14PM EST 5 months agoDuration 2:06Lower Sackville man worried he could lose home next year5 months agoNewsDuration 2:06Since 2020, Don Johnson has been renting a cottage that was converted from a backyard garage. But he's since learned there's a problem with the permit — one that could force him to leave. Shaina Luck has the story. Carney arrives in D.C. for high-stakes Trump meetingThe National |2 minutes agoVideo8:20 Setting the stakes for Carney, Trump meeting tomorrow | Hanomansing TonightHanomansing Tonight |6 minutes agoVideo10:51 Alberta will hold separation referendum in 2026 if enough signatures gathered, premier saysHanomansing Tonight |7 minutes agoVideo1:39 Cheering on the Winnipeg Jets 39,000 feet in the air1 hour agoVideo1:48 Video evidence, NHLer testimony raise questions in world junior sexual assault trialThe National |May 2Video4:45 Trump repeats 51st state taunt as Carney prepares for White House visitThe National |May 5Video11:28 It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. 5 months agoDuration 2:15Resident settles in at new tiny home in Lower Sackville5 months agoNewsDuration 2:15People are now living at the new tiny home community in Lower Sackville on the site of a former tent encampment. The development is a supportive housing project in response to the housing crisis. Gareth Hampshire has the story. Carney arrives in D.C. for high-stakes Trump meetingThe National |3 minutes agoVideo8:20 Setting the stakes for Carney, Trump meeting tomorrow | Hanomansing TonightHanomansing Tonight |7 minutes agoVideo10:51 Alberta will hold separation referendum in 2026 if enough signatures gathered, premier saysHanomansing Tonight |8 minutes agoVideo1:39 A 15-year-old girl’s sentencing for manslaughter in the killing of a Halifax teen last spring has been postponed at the request of her lawyer The Lower Sackville resident was one of four young people charged with second-degree murder in the death of Ahmad Maher Al Marrach who was stabbed during an altercation in a parking garage at Halifax Shopping Centre on April 22 The girl and a 17-year-old Halifax boy both pleaded guilty to the lesser charge in October Her sentencing hearing was scheduled to get underway Wednesday in Halifax youth court but was adjourned Tuesday during an appearance by her lawyer The provincial Justice Department has determined the girl is eligible for a special type of sentence known as intensive rehabilitative custody and supervision Rolle told the court he just received the proposed IRCS treatment plan for the girl from the Justice Department on Tuesday morning He said it would be valuable to have experts from the IWK Health Centre in Halifax review the plan and comment on the duration and intensity of the treatment and who should be on the treatment team The defence lawyer said the second reason for his adjournment request was that he plans to apply for a publication ban on confidential medical and personal information about his client that is contained in psychological and psychiatric reports prepared by the IWK and is likely to be discussed at her sentencing hearing “That core biographical health information is very sensitive and very personal,” Rolle explained to Judge Mark Heerema Before Rolle can apply for a publication ban He pointed out that a different judge imposed a similar ban in youth court last year at a sentencing hearing for a teen who stabbed two staff members at Charles P Allen High School in Bedford in March 2023 Heerema granted the defence motion for an adjournment saying it would be “impractical” for the sentencing hearing to proceed Wednesday The girl’s sentencing hearing will now commence March 14 The judge will endeavour to find an additional day to offer lawyers when the case returns to court Feb The Halifax boy’s sentencing hearing is set for March 31 The judge heard victim impact statements from members of Ahmad’s family Jan 21 at a joint proceeding for the girl and boy a 15-year-old boy from Lower Sackville who stabbed Ahmad in the chest pleaded guilty in youth court to second-degree murder His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 6 He faces an automatic sentence of four years in custody and three years of supervision in the community is still charged with second-degree murder with 12 more days booked in April and another week in May if necessary All four accused remain behind bars and are ordered to have no contact with one another The girl got bail last June but was re-arrested 19 days later for violating her release conditions She has pleaded guilty to one count of breaching bail