Lawyers hope to make progress in Alderberry Lane murder case

Craig Pope appeared in court in St. John’s Wednesday via videolink from HMP

Lawyers in the case of accused murderer Craig Pope say they hope to make some progress when the matter is called again in provincial court next month.

Pope, 32, appeared in court in St. John’s Wednesday morning via videolink from Her Majesty’s Penitentiary.

His lawyer, Bob Simmonds, told the court he had received the first of three rounds of disclosure in the case. Crown prosecutor Shawn Patten said he had received the second round from police on Monday and would pass it along to Simmonds by the end of the week.

The last, “most substantial” piece of disclosure, according to Patten, is expected in a couple of weeks.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to do something substantial next time,” Patten told Judge Mike Madden, who set the case over until Nov. 24.

Pope is charged with the murder of 36-year-old Jonathan Collins on Alderberry Lane, off Mundy Pond Road in St. John’s, during the afternoon of Sept. 7. Police received a report of an injured man outside a residence and arrived to find Collins, who had been stabbed and was unconscious. He was taken to hospital by paramedics, but later died of his injuries.

Pope allegedly fled the scene in a cab, and was arrested a short time later near Elizabeth Avenue. Court documents indicate he lives on Alderberry Lane.

Police say Pope and Collins were known to each other and the stabbing is not believed to have been random.

Pope is charged with seconddegree murder and two counts of failing to abide by a probation order. He had been released from jail weeks before his Sept. 7 arrest, having been convicted in July on charges of criminal harassment, uttering threats, fraud and breaching court orders.