Finn seeking aid to pay for legal fees
Man accused of shooting wife at Home Depot back in court Dec. 18 as application continues
Terrance Finn is still without a lawyer.
Finn, 74, of Westwood in Asphodel-Norwood Township, is charged with first-degree murder in the broad daylight shooting death of his wife Sandra on Aug. 22.
Sandra, a retired secretary and insurance adjuster at the former Fleetwood Canada Inc. recreational vehicle factor in Lindsay, was shot in the Home Depot parking lot and died later that day in a Toronto hospital. Her husband was arrested at the scene by Peterborough police.
On Tuesday, Finn made his eighth court appearance in Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough. He stood quietly in the prisoner’s box while William Caven, an associate with Toronto lawyer Mary Cremer, spoke on his behalf.
Caven told Justice Jennifer Broderick that Cremer’s office is helping Finn with a Robowtham application.
A Robowtham application is a solution for those who don’t qualify for legal aid and still can’t afford to pay legal fees out of pocket. It’s based on the premise that all accused persons have a right to a fair trial. Unlike legal aid, where a representative decides if you qualify, a judge makes the decision in a Robowtham application.
Caven told the court that he’s seen the process take 72 hours or weeks to complete.
Peterborough assistant Crown attorney Andrew Midwood raised concerns over the number of appearances to date by Finn. He told Broderick that all disclosure has been provided to Finn and that the Crown’s office would like to see the matter move forward.
Broderick set a return date of Dec. 18 so the court can be updated on the Robowtham application process.