Murder trial in Moncton ends with guilty plea to manslaughter
CBC
A 39-year-old man has admitted to taking part in killing Jamie Leard in southeastern New Brunswick almost two years ago.
Henry Alexander Joseph Pottie was on trial on a charge of first-degree murder. It was alleged he killed Leard on May 25, 2021, in Upper Cape.
He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter on Monday as his jury trial was set to enter its third week. A publication ban prevented reporting the plea until the 14 jurors were dismissed Tuesday morning.
Pottie is the second person to plead guilty in the case. Sean Patterson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder April 13, just before he was set to go on trial with Pottie.
Pottie admitted taking part in Leard's killing by being part of a plan by Patterson to confront Leard with a gun, cleaning the crime scene, and helping to hide the body.
Pottie's plea came on a day originally set to discuss, without the jury present, a mistrial application by Pottie's defence lawyers. By the afternoon, the sides had reached a plea deal.
Crown prosecutor Maurice Blanchard read an agreed statement of facts to Court of King's Bench Justice Robert Dysart.
Blanchard said Leard was driving to Springhill, N.S., on May 25, 2021, with his friend Amanda Noiles and her six-year-old son.
While en route, he received notifications on his cell phone that his home surveillance camera had been turned off. He went back to his home with Noiles and her son.
Blanchard said Patterson turned the system off because he didn't want what was about to happen to be recorded. Jurors heard Patterson was living with Leard in Upper Cape and that Pottie was also staying there.
"Patterson was having disputes with Leard over theft of various items and for other reasons," Blanchard said.
"He planned on confronting Leard about this and recruited Pottie to assist him as Leard was a much larger individual."
Blanchard said there were multiple firearms in Leard's home.
"It appears the plan was to confront Leard, and if things got out of hand, Mr. Pottie would back [Patterson] up," the prosecutor said.
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