By Spencer Sterritt

Guilty plea sticks for accused attempted murderer Leslie Black

Jun 3, 2016 | 10:53 AM

A guilty plea will stay on the record for a man charged with attempted murder after a vicious assault.

Judge Hugh Harradence at Prince Albert Provincial Court, Friday, June 3, handed down a written decision for Leslie Black saying “there is nothing in the evidence that would suggest his guilty plea is invalid or be set aside.”

Black pleaded guilty to the 2014 attempted murder of Marlene Bird, after he repeatedly stomped her in the head then set her on fire. The attack stemmed from an argument between Black and Bird. After a sexual encounter, Bird allegedly said she would accuse Black of rape since she was nearly passed out during intercourse.

Black requested in November of 2015 his guilty plea be stricken from the record because he did not fully understand the ramifications of a conviction. 

Harradence said in a written statement he was satisfied Black understood what he was doing when he entered his guilty plea on April 28, 2015.

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“[Black] made a conscious and voluntary decision to plead guilty for reasons that were appropriate to him,” he wrote.

During the expungement hearing, the court heard Black initially pleaded guilty under the advice of lawyer Adam Masiowski.

Black made numerous accusations of his lawyer’s defence and changed pieces of his previous testimony. Harradence said Black likely “reconstructed” his memories of the attack and saw no reason to doubt Masiowski performed his due diligence.

With the guilty plea remaining on his record, Black will now head to sentencing. No official date has been set for hearing.

ssterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit