The trial of a man accused of raping vulnerable women in and around the Calgary area has been derailed after he fired his lawyer for the second time.
Richard Mantha, 60, faces 20 charges of drugging and raping women, most of whom he met through their work in Calgary’s sex trade.
The charges include kidnapping, administration of harmful substances, forcible confinement and sexual assault with a weapon.
On Wednesday, Mantha, whose ability to speak has been affected by a recent stroke, delivered a handwritten letter to his lawyer, allegedly written by a fellow inmate.
Judge ‘very concerned’ about delay
The letter indicates Mantha’s desire to fire his attorney and that a new attorney from Lethbridge be hired.
After firing his first set of lawyers mid-trial back in January, Mantha’s trial was set to resume in November.
Judge Judith Shriar called Wednesday’s development “an unexpected turn” and described it as unfortunate.
“This case, for Mr. Mantha’s sake and for the sake of the community, must come to an end one way or another,” Shriar said.
The judge expressed concern about the viability of the upcoming trial.
“I don’t think I can stop Mr. Mantha from dismissing his lawyers,” Shriar said. “I cannot force that, although I am very concerned about the delay.”
‘It will derail everything’
Prosecutor Dominique Mathurin – who still has 26 witnesses to call, including two alleged victims – expressed frustration.
“It will derail everything in terms of potentially being able to start the trial on November 18,” she said.
Appearing in court via video link, Lethbridge lawyer Justin Dean confirmed the Crown’s fears.
“I’m not available for the currently scheduled trial date,” Dean said.
Catching up on the case will involve reviewing 10,000 pages of disclosure and 1,000 pages of trial transcripts, some of which are in French, Shriar Dean said.
The Lethbridge lawyer said he would meet with Mantha at the Calgary Remand Center Wednesday night to determine if he can take the stand.
Lawsuits
This case has been fraught with problems over the past 10 months.
In January, more than a week into the trial, and after powerful testimony from four of Mantha’s alleged victims, he fired his lawyers.
In May, Mantha suffered what his new lawyer, Marc Crerar, described as a “severe” stroke.
Weeks later, a report was ordered to determine whether Mantha was medically fit to stand trial.
In September, Dr. Reilly Smith’s report filed in court finding Mantha fit to stand trial.
Mantha cannot speak
But Crerar raised concerns about Mantha’s ability to communicate verbally – an effect from the stroke – which could affect whether he can testify in his own defence.
Crerar considered challenging the fitness finding and had arranged for Smith to be in court to testify on Wednesday so the parties could better understand Mantha’s ability to communicate.
After the letter was presented to the judge, Smith was dismissed.
The parties will return to court on Tuesday to determine the next steps in the case.