TWO CRIMES, TWO YEARS, ONE SUSPECT
Man charged with robbing Penticton pharmacy in 2014 as well as 2016 killing of man in Abbotsford
Man being held on charges after Penticton robbery, murder in Abbotsford
Charges stemming from an armed robbery in Penticton were laid two years after the fact thanks to DNA evidence that arose from a Lower Mainland murder investigation, a judge heard Thursday.
Shayne Daniel Duncan McGenn, 34, is charged with robbery, disguising his face with intent to commit offence and using an imitation firearm while committing an offence in connection with the robbery of The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in May 2014.
The Herald reported at the time that a man entered the Main Street pharmacy that morning and left with $70 in cash and an estimated $3,000 worth of drugs.
McGenn is also charged with the second-degree murder of 63-yearold David Delaney in Abbotsford in February 2016.
He was arrested for that offence in May 2016 in Penticton.
McGenn has been in custody ever since, awaiting trials, and now appears to have been doublebooked.
The five-day robbery trial in Penticton is set to commence April 23, while the 13-week murder trial in New Westminster is set to start April 30, with voir dire proceedings beforehand.
Justice Alison Beames said Thursday she would hear an application to adjourn the Penticton trial if necessary.
Crown counsel John Swanson said there may also be a delay required to investigate an alibi should defence put one forward.
That alibi is still being explored with a witness possibly in custody, according to defence counsel Don Skogstad.
Swanson said the Crown intends to proceed with the robbery trial regardless of whether or not McGenn is convicted in the murder trial.
The lawyers are expected to reconvene with the judge before April 23 to decide if the robbery trial will go ahead as planned.
Skogstad said the only evidence allegedly connecting McGenn to the pharmacy heist is DNA samples taken by police from discarded clothing found after the robbery.
Those samples were apparently entered into a police database and resulted in a match when DNA from the Abbotsford murder investigation was later inputted to the same database two years later.