The lawyer for a man on trial in Prince George for drug and weapons possession quit on Nov. 24 for unspecified ethical reasons.
Terry La Liberté told BC Supreme Court Justice Lisa Hamilton that he had “encountered an insurmountable ethical issue that I cannot resolve” and his only option was to withdraw as defence lawyer for Kerridge Andrew Lowley.
Lowley pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and possession of weapons when the trial began Nov. 3.
La Liberté said he sought advice from senior colleagues on the matter but did not offer any details to Hamilton.
“It's unfortunate, but given counsel has an insurmountable ethical issue, the application to withdraw is granted,” Hamilton said. “It goes no further than that.”
Hamilton adjourned the trial until Dec. 8 for a scheduling hearing. La Liberté suggested that may not be enough time for Lowley, 50, to find a new lawyer.
La Liberté’s last action in court on behalf of Lowley was to dispute a prosecutor’s recent decision to show certain video evidence. La Liberté said it “would affect the entire operation of the case.”
Federal Crown prosecutor Mansi Khajuria told Hamilton that all the video footage was disclosed last January to the defence, but she did not indicate the specific file to show in court until last week.
Earlier this year, La Liberté represented Lowley in an aggravated assault and break-and-enter trial in BC Supreme Court. A judge acquitted Lowley and co-accused Dakota Rayn Keewatin on March 3. The 2022 incident began as a dispute over a drug debt and ended with a grisly machete attack at a Prince George motel.
