Charges stayed in ‘Surrey Six’ murder case

A judge has stayed charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder against a man accused in the execution-style slayings of six men in Surrey, B.C.

Jamie Bacon was accused of the first-degree murder of 21-year-old Corey Lal, one of six people murdered in a highrise apartment in October 2007.

The B.C. Supreme Court released its ruling Friday in an application for a stay filed by Bacon’s lawyers in the so-called Surrey Six case.

Much of the evidence and reasons for the decision were sealed by the court.

“In order to protect the Crown’s claims of privilege, which I have upheld, the evidence adduced, the materials filed and my reasons for entering the stay of proceedings must remain sealed,” wrote Justice Kathleen Ker.

“I am bound by the law as I have described it and, accordingly, am not at liberty to provide any further information about my rulings or the evidence and materials underlying them.”

Bacon remains in custody on a separate charge of counselling the murder of an individual, the Crown says. His trial is scheduled to begin on April 3, 2018. The Crown says he has not applied for bail on that charge, but it would oppose his release.

The edited ruling says Bacon’s lawyers had come into possession of privileged information that they were not allowed to use in his defence, which would impact his right to a fair trial in the Surrey Six case.

“In part, this arose from the manner in which the police handled aspects of privileged and confidential information,” the ruling says.

The judge also determined that someone who can only be referred to as Person X because of a publication ban cannot be called by the Crown as a witness in order to protect Bacon’s rights.