Alex Kurial/Local Journalism Initiative

The murder trial in the killing of a father of three in Warwick nearly three years ago is once again postponed.

Tina George, 36, faces a second-degree murder charge in the death of Jesse Storr, 29. Storr was found in a house on Egremont Rd. in Warwick the afternoon of Apr. 29, 2018. Despite receiving medical treatment he later died.

George was arrested the same day and granted bail in May. Her trial was originally set to start summer 2020, but in December was postponed to Apr. 6, 2021. On Jan. 25 in Sarnia Superior Court, the case was adjourned a third time, and won’t start for almost a full calendar year.

“I’m not convinced we’re going to be back to doing jury trials by then,” says Justice Russell Raikes. Earlier in the month the Ontario Superior Court announced that jury trials would be suspended until May 3 at the earliest, nearly a month after George’s trial was supposed to begin.

Superior Court courtrooms are also currently limited to 10 person attendance.

“For the sake of having a degree of certainty, we’re better off putting it to December 6,” says Raikes.

Crown Attorney David Rows and George’s defense lawyer Richard Braiden both agreed with the move. Braiden noted his client is waiving her 11(b) Charter right – known as the Jordan Decision – which states a trial in a Canadian Superior Court must start within 30 months of charges being laid. George’s trial will begin more than 3.5 years after Storr’s killing.

• The Independent