An Ontario family waited 3 years for trial in alleged murder of brother. Now they have to wait another year
An Ontario family that has waited three years for a trial in the alleged murder of a loved one has just been told they’ll have to wait another year.
The brother and sister of Nathaniel Brettell told CTV News they got word that one lawyer’s scheduling conflict adjourned the trial of Ahmed Al Farkh that was scheduled for April 29, and that the next available date at Toronto Superior Court was in March of 2025.
“My life has been on hold for three years,” Lois Brettell said in an interview. “I’m suffering badly with survivor’s guilt. Now, with another year on top of that, I’m not in a good place.”
Brettell went missing from his Etobicoke rooming house in 2021. Two officers that went looking for him were stabbed and sent to hospital.
Police looking for the 57-year-old eventually turned up his remains at a landfill near London, Ontario.
Charged in the case was 34-year-old Al Farkh, Brettell’s former roommate, who is in custody now. His online writings have described his time in Toronto homeless shelters, referring to the Freemasons and the Illuminati.
Brettell’s brother and sister have waited three years for the trial to start on April 29. The next date, they said, is March 17, 2025.
Farkh’s lawyer, Boris Bytensky, acknowledged the most recent delay was due to his schedule. But he said since the delay was initiated by the defense, there’s no chance the charges will get thrown out for delays.
That’s not the case for several other cases that have been tossed for delays, with judges in Toronto Superior Court decrying a slow federal appointment process for judges that has left vacancies on the bench.
Ontario NDP justice critic Kristyn Wong-Tam said the province has plenty of physical courtrooms, but a major issue is the lack of court staff. She said a recent report had reduced the number of hours each courtroom is used on average each day.
“When we have a court system that’s overstretched and underfunded, these problems are going to persist, and we have record high backlogs,” she said.
“To hear the next available courtroom is a year out is unacceptable,” she said.
The province’s Ministry of the Attorney General didn’t respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson for federal justice minister Arif Virani said the government has appointed 111 judges to superior courts across Canada in the past 12 months, and said there are new measures to streamline the process.
“All actors in the justice system, and all levels of government, need to work to ensure justice is timely. Our government is doing its part and will continue to do so with urgency,” said spokesperson Chantalle Aubertin.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada, Ontario sees only decline: report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canada's longstanding blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma was harmful and discriminatory, Canadian Blood Services acknowledged on Friday, in issuing an apology to the LGBTQ2S+ community.