Skylar Halkett is escorted from Court of King's Bench. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

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A man on trial for the robbery and shooting of a teenage volleyball player, was expected on Thursday to change his plea to guilty.

However, when asked if he understood the single sole charge he was being convicted of (robbery with a firearm), Skylar Halkett denied any involvement.

“I wasn’t there,” he told Justice C.D. Clackson.

Thursday morning’s hearing at Court of King’s Bench was scheduled after a great deal of discussion between Crown Prosecutor MaryAnne Larson and Defence lawyer Evan Strelioff.

The initial trial commenced last November. Now, as a result of Halkett’s denial, Strelioff proceeded to withdraw.

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Noting her own surprise at the turn of events, Larson said the case was still mid-trial, and given the fact the complainant had already testified, she expressed her hope not to start from scratch again.

“That creates a dilemma,” Justice Clackson responded, before adjourning the case for 30 minutes to consider what the next step should be.

Upon his return, he then further adjourned the case to April 11, at which time a conference call will take place and will hopefully include Halkett’s new lawyer.

Justice Clackson also acknowledged there is a possibility an application could be made for a mis-trial, but added it’s too early and the case is by all means still considered mid-trial.

In the late evening hours of Sept. 8, 2023, the victim, who was from outside the city, and participating in a volleyball tournament at St. Mary High School, walked his girlfriend to her car, before continuing on his own.

According to facts read during Halkett’s bail hearing, the robbery occurred while he was alone and one of the three suspects was overheard saying “just shoot him” and seconds later another suspect pulled a small, hammered gun from their waist band and fired.

The following day, police located a young woman wearing the victim’s backpack and she said she got it from her brother.

Her brother would turn out to be Jon Napope, who along with Michael Fourstar was arrested roughly two weeks later, following the execution of search warrants at two separate West Flat addresses where the backpack’s contents were found.

Napope, who later entered a guilty plea to possession of stolen property, received a jail sentence of four months.

Michael Fourstar entered guilty pleas in May of last year, to robbery, discharging a firearm with intent to cause harm and possession of an unauthorized firearm.

A separate guilty plea was also entered for failing to appear for a scheduled court date while out on bail. Fourstar is expected to be sentenced on April 4.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell