Greenspan hired to defend Millard’s girlfriend
Well-known Toronto lawyer will defend convicted killer Dellen Millard’s girlfriend in Bosma accessory case
Christina Noudga has a new lawyer — and he’s among the most pricey in the province.
The girlfriend of convicted killer Dellen Millard has parted ways with the lawyer expected to defend her when she goes on trial for allegedly covering up Tim Bosma’s murder.
Paul Mergler, of Toronto, had been representing Noudga, 24, since she was arrested in April 2014 for accessory after the fact to murder. He won her release on $100,000 bail and was in the courtroom with her when she became the Crown’s star witness at Tim’s trial. But he confirms he is no longer representing her. “It happens,” he says. Mergler also confirms that renowned criminal lawyer Brian Greenspan has now been retained by Noudga.
Greenspan is away on vacation and could not be reached for comment.
His high profile clients have included Cathy Smith, accused in the drug death of comedian John Belushi; Omar Khadr, accused of war crimes; supermodel Naomi Campbell, charged with assault; superstar Justin Bieber, who faced assault and careless driving charges; and, most recently Marco Muzzo, the young millionaire who killed three young children and their grandfather in a car crash while driving drunk.
Greenspan has yet to appear in a Hamilton courtroom to officially be placed on the record as Noudga’s new lawyer. That will happen in the next few weeks.
Noudga’s change in legal counsel raises some questions.
What effect will this have on her three-week judge-alone trial which is scheduled to begin Nov. 14 in Hamilton? Though neither a judge nor a Crown team has been assigned to the trial yet (Crowns from the Bosma prosecution team will almost certainly handle Noudga’s trial), the dates have been set. Greenspan may ask for more time to prepare for the trial, or he may have scheduling issues, which could push the opening into 2017.
And who is paying Greenspan’s fee? He is a brilliant lawyer with an impressive reputation. Many in the legal community speculate he is the highest paid criminal defence lawyer in Ontario. Greenspan is known for representing celebrities and wealthy business people accused of white collar crimes.
Noudga’s parents are chiropractors in Toronto and live in a modest Etobicoke bungalow.
Millard, of course, was the heir to a multimillion-dollar aviation dynasty before being arrested for Tim’s murder.
In sappy and scheming letters smuggled from his jail cell to Noudga, Millard reminded her over and over again that he needed her help to win his case.
She had already helped him hide Tim’s truck, although she claims she didn’t realize that is what she was doing.
The illegal jailhouse letters, seized from Noudga’s bedroom, also outlined Millard’s plans to tamper with witnesses and concoct a story to place Tim’s murder at Smich’s feet.
On the witness stand Noudga seemed to do her best to exonerate her former lover of Tim’s murder. Or at least mitigate the evidence against him.
In the end, her testimony was far more damning than helpful.
But for her effort, could Millard be bankrolling her defence fund?
On May 6, 2013, Tim, a 32-yearold Ancaster family man, took Millard and his former pal Mark Smich for a test drive of the Dodge Ram diesel truck he was selling. He was shot and his body cremated.
Last month, after a four month trial that captivated the country, a jury found Millard, 30, and Smich, 28, guilty of first-degree murder.
Both men are also charged with the first degree murder of Millard’s girlfriend Laura Babcock and Millard is further charged with the shotgun death of his own father, Wayne Millard.