The murder trial of Dennis Oland resumes in Saint John this morning when the Crown calls its next witness.
Oland, 50, is being retried for second-degree murder in the bludgeoning death of his multimillionaire father Richard Oland more than seven years ago.
His defence team started to lay the groundwork for its case Thursday, asking the victim’s secretary a series of seemingly inconsequential questions.
Maureen Adamson confirmed her 69-year-old boss had a scalp condition, wore hearing aids, and was a touchy-feely close-talker.
Toronto-based lawyer Michael Lacy didn’t dwell on any of the issues and hasn’t pieced them together for the court yet, but they’re all related to a key piece of the Crown’s evidence against Oland — a blood-stained brown sports jacket.
Adamson testified Oland was wearing a brown jacket when he visited his father at his office on the night he was killed, July 6, 2011.
She left the two alone together and the next morning, she discovered her boss’ body lying face down on the floor in a pool of blood. He had suffered more than 40 wounds to his head, neck and hands.
Richard Oland (left) was hard of hearing and had a tendency to lean in close when he spoke to someone, court heard. (Court exhibt)
The brown jacket, which was later seized from Oland’s closet, had four areas of blood on it and the DNA found in each of those areas matched his father’s profile, Crown prosecutor Jill Knee told the court during opening statements earlier this week.
The defence contends the « miniscule » bloodstains were the result of « innocent transfer. »
Lacy asked Adamson about the elder Oland’s scalp condition. She said she occasionally noticed little cuts on his head that would sometimes bleed.
Oland was hard of hearing and would sometimes lean in when he spoke to people, she agreed.
And he tended to put his hands on people when he spoke to them, she said.
During Dennis Oland’s first trial in 2015, the defence suggested the blood from his scalp could have gotten onto his hands and transferred onto someone’s clothing.
A jury found Oland guilty in December 2015, but the New Brunswick Court of Appeal overturned the conviction in October 2016 and ordered a new trial, citing an error in the trial judge’s instructions to the jury.
A mistrial was declared in his jury retrial and the case is now proceeding by judge alone.
Richard Oland’s secretary confirmed he was ‘touchy-feely’ and would often touch people or put his arm around them when he spoke to them. (Court exhibit)
His lawyer also asked Adamson Thursday about some police photographs of the crime scene, including a close-up of a black TV remote control on the floor in the blood-spattered office. In the photo, the remote is face-up. Another photo shows a remote on the floor, face-down.
Adamson said she couldn’t confirm they were the same remote control. She noted the office air conditioner also had a remote.
Lacy pointed out both photos had a yellow extension cord in them, implying they were of the same remote.
He asked whether she was careful not to touch or disturb anything in the crime scene after she made the grisly discovery that morning, rushed out to get help and re-entered with a man from the printing shop downstairs. She said they were both careful.
The remote for the air conditioner was grey and was usually kept either on or near Oland’s desk because he sat right in front of the AC, said Adamson.
Richard Oland’s secretary Maureen Adamson testified she went back to the crime scene two or three days after she discovered his body to tell police if she noticed anything missing. There was at least one fabric drop-cloth on the floor at that time, in the area where her boss had been face down in a pool of blood, she said. (CBC)
Lacy showed her another photograph, taken on July 11, four days after Oland’s body was discovered. It depicts what appears to be a remote near the coffee machine. In a July 7 photo of the same area, no remote is present.
During the 2015 trial, the court heard issues about the police investigation, including officers entering the crime scene without wearing protective gear to avoid contamination and using the washroom outside the office for two days before it was forensically tested.
In pre-trial documents, the defence advised the court they intend to argue « that the [Saint John Police Force’s] investigation into the homicide of Richard Oland was inadequate and will also seek to impugn the conduct and credibility of various SJPF officers involved in the investigation. »
The trial is scheduled to last four months.