More than a year after Liam Gadsby was sentenced to four and a half years in jail for a violent home invasion, the other man charged in the attack, Thomas Duncan, still does not have a trial date.
Duncan is charged with break and enter, robbery, forcible confinement and disguising his face with the intent to commit a crime. Those charges all are related to a home invasion suffered by James Johnson, a former Sechelt optometrist who is himself awaiting trial for possession of child pornography.
According to police, two young men entered Johnson's home the night of April 25, 2003, their faces disguised with black hoodie sweatshirts. They woke Johnson, beat him, drove him to the bank and forced him to withdraw his daily limit of cash, then robbed him.
Eighteen-year-old Liam Gadsby confessed his part in the home invasion last May. He pleaded guilty to robbery and forcible confinement.
Duncan is also charged with possessing stolen property two weeks before the home invasion, including liquor, a cell phone and a camcorder.
Duncan's trial has been scheduled twice, but his need for a new lawyer delayed the case each time.
Duncan's first lawyer was Lynn Chapman, who withdrew from the case in November 2003, a month before the trial was scheduled to begin.
Duncan hired a new lawyer named Hart, and the trial was re-scheduled for October 2004. Now Hart has died, so that trial will likely be cancelled as well.
Brian Jackson is winding up Hart's practice and is trying to get yet another lawyer to take on Duncan's case. Jackson will be in Sechelt provincial court Sept. 21 to set another trial date.
Judge Dan Moon expressed concern at the delay in Duncan's trial but added, "I'm not suggesting it's your fault."
