A judge is expected to decide today whether a man accused of sexually assaulting vulnerable women in Calgary will have one trial or seven separate ones. The Calgary Courts Centre on Monday, March 11, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
CALGARY – A judge is expected to decide today whether a man accused of sexually assaulting vulnerable women in Calgary will have one trial or seven separate ones.
Richard Robert Mantha, 59, faces numerous charges that include kidnapping, threats causing bodily harm, sexual assault with a weapon and administering a noxious substance.
He was denied bail last summer and has been in custody since he was arrested in April 2023.
The French-language trial was set to begin on Monday, but his lawyer has asked for the case to be split into seven trials.
Justice Judith Shrier of the Alberta Court of Justice heard the application on Wednesday and said she would deliver her decision this morning.
The trial, whether it’s one encompassing all complaints or the first of seven, is expected to begin immediately following her decision.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2024.
