Mother to stand trial

A 30-year-old woman will stand trial on charges — including manslaughter — laid following the death of her young son a year ago.

A preliminary hearing was held this week for Anna Marie Rose Wilkes who faces four charges in connection with the death of three-yearold Nylan Jordan George Clarke whose body was discovered in a van outside a Regina home last May.

After hearing evidence presented this week by Crown prosecutor Chris White — details of which can’t be reported because of a court-imposed publication ban — Regina Provincial Court Judge Jeff Kalmakoff returned with a decision Friday, committing the mother to stand trial on all four counts. Those charges include manslaughter, criminal negligence causing death, offering an indignity to a dead body and obstructing justice.

The obstruction charge relates to an alleged attempt to set fire to the vehicle containing the body. The offences are alleged to have occurred between April 28 and May 3.

Information previously reported by the Regina Police Service said the child’s body was discovered inside a van parked outside a house on the 200 block of Halifax Street on May 3. Police had responded to a call about a “possible deceased person” found in the back of the van.

Wilkes — who showed no visible reaction to the committals — previously elected to be tried by a Court of Queen’s Bench judge and jury. A trial date hasn’t yet been set. Through her defence lawyer Carson Demmans, Wilkes is making a second application for bail. Her bail was previously denied by a provincial court judge but she is able to make a second application now that the preliminary hearing is concluded. That bail hearing has been set for April 19.

Earlier this week, Wilkes’ co-accused, 39-year-old Harley William Fraser Stueck, pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death as a preliminary hearing into his charges was to get underway. Other charges, including manslaughter, were stayed against Stueck at that time.

He was remanded in custody to return April 24, at which time Crown and defence lawyers are expected to make sentencing submissions.