Prosecutor says drugs had ‘major role’ in murder case with no clear motive
Crown prosecutor Maurice Blanchard says that although there was no clear motive put forward in the convictions of Sean Patrick Patterson and Henry Pottie for their roles in the murder of Jamie Leard, he believes drug use was the underlying reason for the murder.
On Friday, September 15, Henry Pottie was sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in the murder of Jamie Leard, minus some time to account for time served in remand and time served in solitary confinement. Friday’s hearing was the final one regarding the tragic killing of 38-year-old Leard, who many remembered as a well-loved, quiet, and kind-hearted man.
On May 2, 2023, Pottie pled guilty to manslaughter, admitting to a role in the confrontation that ended in Sean Patrick Patterson shooting Leard on May 25, 2021. He also admitted to helping dispose of Leard’s body, conceal the crime, and mislead police and family members who were looking for Leard.
Pottie has been held in remand since he was arrested on June 5, 2021. He was placed in segregation several times since then, as a result of the court’s no contact order between himself and Leard’s convicted murderer, Patterson. The court typically credits time served before conviction at a rate of 1.5 days for each day served, and Crown and defense lawyers agreed to an additional credit of 45 days to account for the time Pottie spent in segregation.… Continue
Pottie to face first degree murder charge alone
The trial of Henry Joseph Pottie began Monday in a Moncton courtroom. Pottie is accused of the first degree murder of Jamie Leard, a resident of Upper Cape, in May 2021.
Pottie’s co-accused, Sean Patterson, was also facing a first degree murder charge, but last Thursday entered a guilty plea to second degree murder. Patterson will be sentenced this summer on July 25.
On Monday, 39-year-old Pottie heard the charges against him and then pled not guilty. Pottie is represented by Saint John-Toronto lawyer Nathan Gorham and colleagues. The case is being prosecuted by New Brunswick crown attorney Maurice Blanchard.
Two courtrooms were filled with prospective jurors on Monday. Judge Robert Dysart said he would select 14 jurors and two alternates. Only 12 jurors will be able to deliberate and determine a verdict, but Dysart said he would appoint more due to the proposed length of the trial, which lawyers predict could last eight weeks.
First witnesses are expected to be called on Tuesday.
A publication ban is in effect for any evidence and information presented in court while the jury is or was not present. The ban will be lifted once the jury is sequestered for deliberations.
Several weeks of voir-dire hearings preceded the trial, in which the judge determined admissibility of evidence and witness testimony.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly said Pottie pled guilty.… Continue
Pottie now represented by Toronto-Saint John criminal lawyer Nathan Gorham
The two men accused of murdering Jamie Leard on May 25 last year were in court recently for a pre-trial conference.
Sean Patrick Patterson is being represented by New Brunswick lawyer Jason Dempsey. A New Brunswick legal aid lawyer, Sylvain Pelletier, was listed as representing Henry Alexander Joseph Pottie as recently as March 7, but Pottie’s file has been transferred to another lawyer, Nathan Gorham, according to Pelletier.
There is a Nathan Gorham practicing law in New Brunswick with Gorham Vandebeek LLP, with offices in Saint John and Toronto. CHMA has reached out to Gorham for comment.
He recently represented Matthew Raymond, who in November was found not criminally responsible for the shooting deaths of four Fredericton residents in 2018.
Gorham’s website bio says his practice focuses on complex criminal trials and appeals. He has co-authored a textbook on prosecuting and defending drug cases, and is also an adjunct professor at the University of New Brunswick
Patterson and Pottie are charged with the first degree murder of Jamie Leard on May 25, 2021 in Upper Cape, about halfway between Port Elgin and Cape Tormentine.
Their trial is set for just over a year from now, on April 17, 2023. The voir dires for the trial – meaning hearings to look at admissibility of evidence and witnesses – are scheduled to begin on February 6, 2023.
-With files from David Gordon Koch… Continue