Courts
East Preston man charged with human trafficking avoids court to duck media
Owen Ross Gibson-Skeir’s case moved to April 20
Owen Ross Gibson-Skeir chose to stay in a jail cell Monday because he didn’t want to face reporters at the courthouse, his lawyer said.
Gibson-Skeir, 20, is accused of human trafficking a 14-year-old girl.
His case was due in Halifax provincial court on Monday, but lawyer Kai Glasgow said his client decided not to appear.
Gibson-Skeir is aware the case has been in the media, so “he just didn’t want to sort of go through that this morning,” Glasgow told reporters outside the courtroom.
Glasgow waived the formal reading of charges in exchange for the accused to appear in court on April 20 for a possible plea or show cause hearing.
Gibson-Skeir, from East Preston, faces a number of other charges, including sexual assault.
He was arrested in Cole Harbour on Saturday at 6:30 a.m. He remains in custody.