The murder and attempted murder trial of Nicholas Bellemare, accused of killing a Ridge Meadows Mountie, is now scheduled to run until early April.
Bellemare was in New Westminster Supreme Court again on Monday, Dec. 29, as defence lawyers continued cross-examining witnesses over bullet and bullet hole evidence taken from the scene of the fatal shooting.
According to the New Westminster Supreme Court registry, the trial will resume again and run from Jan. 5 to 8, then March 16 to 25, and March 30 to April 2.
Const. Rick O’Brien was killed on Sept. 22, 2023, when a group of five Ridge Meadows officers raided a suspected drug stash house, part of a series of raids that day linked to an ongoing investigation.
Bellemare was inside one of the raided locations, in a condo unit on the 22nd storey of 3007 Glen Dr. in Coquitlam.
According to the Crown’s summary of the case delivered on the first day of the trial, O’Brien was the first officer through the door, and Bellemare shot him with an AR-15 rifle, also hitting and wounding Cpl. Colin Ryder.
Another officer retreated and managed to shoot Bellemare in the arm; Bellemare was arrested at the scene.
Police found about $65,000 worth of drugs in the condo, along with $5,000 cash and several long guns.
O’Brien served in the Ridge Meadows detachment and lived in Langley with his wife and six children.
Bellemare’s lawyers have indicated that they will raise the possibility of self defence, after he pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and attempted murder.
His trial began in Supreme Court in New Westminster on Nov. 3, and was originally scheduled to run until the end of December.
Family members of O’Brien have regularly attended the trial.
Bellemare has sat quietly in the prisoner’s box, wearing a white shirt and suit jacket, occasionally speaking to his defence lawyers.
The trial is a judge-only trial, presided over by Justice Terence Schultes.