A former Oshawa city councillor accused of kidnapping the city solicitor at gunpoint made another court appearance Thursday as a small group of family members and supporters looked on.
Robert Lutczyk was charged with numerous offences, including kidnapping and forcible confinement, after a string of bizarre events unfolded in Durham Region earlier this week.
Police allege Oshawa city solicitor David Potts was abducted at gunpoint in his driveway on Monday night, then driven around before officers tracked down the suspect’s vehicle.
As police approached the car, Potts was able to break free while the suspect ran into a Whitby auto repair shop and barricaded himself there for more than 24 hours. The standoff ended peacefully early Wednesday morning.
Lutczyk was remanded in custody after a brief court appearance Thursday, where Justice of the Peace Jack Wiley recused himself from the case because he and the accused once sat together on Oshawa city council.
Lutczyk appeared to have a small cut on his forehead and he gestured to his parents on his way out of the courtroom.
“It feels more comfortable that I know he is…I don’t want to say happy, but he is content and he is calm and just seeing him makes me feel a lot better because I haven’t been able to see him,” Lutczyk’s daughter, Tiffany, told reporters outside court.
“He looked well, he looked alert,” said Oshawa Coun. Bruce Wood, who was also in court. “We made eye contact, nodded. My sense from that is that he’s moving forward.”
Tiffany Lutczyk said she feels a sense of relief because “the worst part is over.”
In an exclusive interview with CTV News on Wednesday, Potts said he was grateful to police for helping him escape. He offered no details about his ordeal, saying his alleged abductor is entitled to a fair trial.
With a report from CTV’s Zuraidah Alman
