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Matthew de Grood, the young man accused of stabbing five people to death in Brentwood last April, appeared in a Calgary courtroom on Monday for a preliminary hearing in his trial.
Judge J.D. Holmes began hearing evidence at a preliminary inquiry for Matthew de Grood.
At defence counsel Allan Fay’s request, Holmes imposed a mandatory publication ban on evidence being presented by Crown prosecutor Neil Wiberg.
A group of about 50 spectators, including de Grood’s father Insp. Doug de Grood, packed the small courtroom with some standing as Wiberg called the first of an expected 13 witnesses.
De Grood, wearing a blue blazer and open dress shirt, as well as leg shackles, sat quietly in the prisoner’s box as proceedings commenced.
Wiberg told Holmes that while the hearing is scheduled to last two weeks, he expects all the evidence to be called by Friday.
De Grood faces five charges of first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing to death five young people at a Calgary house part.
He’s charged in the April 15 massacre with the stabbing deaths of Lawrence Hong, 27, Zackariah Rathwell, 21, Jordan Segura, 22, Joshua Hunter, 23, and Kaitlin Perras, 23.
Outside court, Wiberg said the deaths have had a large impact on the community.
“(It was) emotional, I think, for everyone in the courtroom,” Wiberg said.
Fay said despite the emotion, a preliminary inquiry was needed.
“There’s a lot of evidence to explore,” he said during a break in proceedings.
De Grood remains in custody pending a resolution to the case.
Agencies/Canadajournal
