‘Coutts Four’ Pre-Trial Delayed to Feb. 2024 After One Accused Parts Ways With Lawyer

A truck convoy of anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators continue to block the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alta., on Feb. 2, 2022. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh

The pre-trial proceedings for four men accused of conspiring to kill RCMP officers during the 2022 Coutts, Alta., convoy protests have been adjourned until Feb. 5, 2024, after one of the accused parted ways with his legal counsel.

Chris Carbert, Christopher Lysak, Jerry Morin, and Anthony Olienick were charged with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the 2022 blockade, which was formed to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions.

The four accused were among 11 people arrested in February of that year after RCMP found firearms, ammunition, and body armour in three trailers near Coutts. Mr. Olienick was also charged with making or possessing an explosive device.

The men, known as the “Coutts Four,” have spent nearly 660 days in prison without bail.

A trial for the four men was set for June 2023, but pre-trial applications by their lawyers delayed the proceedings until Dec. 11 in a bid to have the trial moved to a different venue.

The latest delay came after Mr. Olienick parted ways with his lawyer Tonni Roulston on Dec. 11. “I feel the relationship has deteriorated,” Mr. Olienick said on Dec. 11 in Lethbridge Court of King’s Bench.

Mr. Olienick will return to court on Jan. 8 to confirm whether he has a new lawyer, or whether he will represent himself at future hearings. The three other accused are set to stand trial from April 2 to April 19, 2024.

Some members of law enforcement and legal experts have raised concerns about the four men being denied bail, suggesting that the criminal case has been “politically influenced.”

Donald Best, a former sergeant with the Toronto Police Service, said that Canadians arrested for crimes like robbery and attempted murder are regularly given bail.

James Kitchen, chief litigator for Liberty Coalition Canada, told The Epoch Times that bail should not be denied for any longer than “absolutely necessary” as it is “one of the worst violations of liberty and it’s tyrannical to keep people for a long period of time without a really good reason.”

Under Canadian law, any person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until he or she is proven guilty of the crime, and accused people have the right to bail unless there is a compelling reason to keep them in custody.

The Criminal Code says bail may be denied in cases where detention is necessary to ensure attendance in court; or necessary for public safety, “considering any substantial likelihood of reoffending upon release;” or is necessary to maintain confidence in the administration of justice, considering the “apparent strength of the prosecution’s case, the gravity of the offence, the circumstances surrounding its commission, and the potential for a lengthy prison term.”

The Alberta RCMP has told The Epoch Times they would not comment on the case because it is still before the courts.