Brazeau pledges to fight sex charges

His lawyers accused of delaying process

Sen. Patrick Brazeau wasn’t in court Friday morning when his lawyers asked for additional evidence about the assault and sexual assault charges against him, but he tweeted his innocence Friday afternoon.

“I will fight these charges against me to prove my innocence. I shall return!” said a post from the 38-year-old’s Twitter account.

It was Brazeau’s first direct public comment on the charges he’s facing, which stem from a Feb. 7 incident as his Gatineau home. He has pleaded not guilty.

It came hours after his lawyer, Michel Swanston, said Brazeau’s legal team doesn’t intend to try the case in the news media.

“We have no intention of arguing this case in the media, and are appalled by the fact that a version of facts is already circulating, and that before the trial has commenced,” Swanston said in a statement to reporters at the Gatineau courthouse.

Swanston and Gerard Larocque represented Brazeau in court Friday, asking for additional disclosure in the case’s evidence file.

Because of the requests, the criminal charges against Brazeau will next be dealt with in court on June 10.

The Crown suggested his legal team is using delay tactics in the case.

The request for additional disclosure is not out of the ordinary, but Crown attorney Sylvain Petitclerc said the evidence dossier provided by the prosecution on Feb. 12 was “100 per cent” complete.