An incarcerated Yellowknife drug trafficker who sought bail over Covid-19 concerns abandoned his effort to be released on April 17 SA国际影视传媒� just hours before an NWT judge was set to hand down her decision on whether he'd be freed.
Darcy Oake, 25, made his case for a bail release ahead of his sentencing during an April 14 hearing. Oake was found guilty after trial last month on four charges related to possessing and distributing furanylfentanyl, a designer derivative of the potent opioid fentanyl.
Justice Shannon Smallwood convicted Oake of importing the drug; possessing it for the purpose of trafficking; trafficking furanylfentanyl SA国际影视传媒� an offence he pleaded guilty to SA国际影视传媒� and criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
Seldomly seen in drug cases, Smallwood found Oake guilty of criminal negligence causing bodily harm after he gave a dose of furanylfentanyl to a friend in November 2016. The woman subsequently overdosed and was hospitalized.
Oake, who admitted to ordering the drug over the SA国际影视传媒渄ark webSA国际影视传媒� in late October 2016 using Bitcoin, picked up the mail-ordered opioid just hours before laying out a line for the victim, who testified during the weeks-long trial.
On April 14, OakeSA国际影视传媒檚 lawyer Peter Harte sought bail on behalf of his client, telling Smallwood that if Covid-19 reached North Slave Correctional Complex (NSCC) SA国际影视传媒� the Yellowknife corrections facility where he remains in custody SA国际影视传媒� Oake would be put at risk.
At his bail hearing, Oake said practising physical distancing at the jail is next to impossible.
On April 17, Smallwood was set to give a decision on whether Oake would be released, but the bail application had been withdrawn earlier that morning.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 being abandoned,SA国际影视传媒� said Oake, who appeared via video from NSCC.
HeSA国际影视传媒檚 consenting to stay behind bars pending his upcoming sentencing hearing, the date of which hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 been set yet.
Smallwood called the move SA国际影视传媒渦nusualSA国际影视传媒� at this stage of the proceedings, but granted the application. She also granted an application to have Harte removed as OakeSA国际影视传媒檚 lawyer.
Harte, speaking over the phone SA国际影视传媒� lawyers are calling in to proceedings amid Covid-19 SA国际影视传媒� said it was necessary for him and his now former client to SA国际影视传媒減art ways.SA国际影视传媒�
The latest twist in a years-long case means Oake is currently without a lawyer, but Harte said he expects legal aid will facilitate counsel in the coming weeks.
Oake is due back in court on May 12 to set a date for a sentencing hearing.
