Joint trial proposed
Joshua Sterling Trail, 42, of Hartland, appeared in provincial court in custody on Aug. 27 after being arrested on a warrant. The court heard he turned himself in to the authorities after a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest.
Trail returns to provincial court in custody by video for a bail hearing on Aug. 28 at 9:30 a.m. He is expected to face new charges of breaching a release order and allegedly cutting off his ankle bracelet.
As Trail sat in handcuffs, Larry Shane Kennedy, 50, of Kirkland, waited in the courtroom for a decision about their joint three-day trial scheduled for this week.
They were each charged with possession of cocaine and possession of methamphetamine, both for the purpose of trafficking, on Feb. 16 in Kirkland; indictable robbery of a motor vehicle on Feb. 5 at Wotstak (Woodstock First Nation); illegal possession of a firearm (a Russian SKS semi-automatic rifle), and improper storage of a firearm on Feb. 16 at Kirkland.
Judge Karen Lee postponed the trial until December. The court heard a resolution is being sought with the Crown on the provincial charges. However, the federal crown intends to move ahead with their trial on drug trafficking. A monitoring hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25 at 9:00 a.m.
Trail appeared in provincial court via video on May 22 for a bail hearing and was released with conditions, including a curfew and the requirement to wear an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle; however, he was subsequently returned to custody.
Kennedy will be back in court on Sept. 9 at 9:30 a.m. He and a co-accused, Dominique Gray, 26, of no fixed address, are scheduled for plea on other drug trafficking charges.
Kennedy and Gray were jointly charged with possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking on May 29 in Kirkland. They were scheduled for plea on Aug. 19, when the matter was adjourned to the new date allow Gray more time to secure legal counsel.
Kennedy was also charged with breaching a release order and unauthorized possession of ammunition for the same incident on May 29. His plea on those charges was adjourned until his next court appearance on Sept. 9.
Kennedy appeared in provincial court in custody on June 19 and was released from custody with conditions (ankle bracelet). He was denied bail on June 2 and then released with the Crown’s consent.
Joshua Trail was also charged with fraudulent impersonation for a separate incident on Dec. 9, 2024, at Richmond Corner. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial date was rescheduled for March 11, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. That trial date may now have to be moved up due to Trail being in custody.
Trail was also charged with breaking into a dwelling house on Charlotte Street to commit mischief, unlawful entry for the purpose of committing an offence, possession of break-in tools, possession of a stolen Blue Cross card, mischief causing property damage to a door, interfering with the lawful use of property, and illegal possession of methamphetamine for an incident between Sept. 6-7, 2024, in Woodstock. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial was set for July 23-24, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. That trial date may now have to be moved up due to Trail being in custody.
A co-accused, Dynielle Demerchant, 28, of Woodstock, appeared in provincial court on June 3 and pleaded not guilty to the same list of charges for the alleged break-in on Charlotte Street. Her trial date was also set for July 23-24, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
Demerchant also pleaded not guilty to possession of stolen property and breach of probation concerning a separate incident on Sept. 17, 2024, in Woodstock. Her trial is scheduled for July 23-24, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
