A lawyer representing an Onion Lake man charged with accessory to murder told the court it’s a conflict to represent the accused and asked for an adjournment.
Andrew Lyster, a North Battleford legal aid lawyer, told Lloydminster Provincial Court on April 1 that he is in the process of sending Twobear Bird’s case to different counsel.
“It’s a significant conflict for my office to represent him,” said Lyster.
Bird, 22, was arrested in February 2021 in Prince Albert and charged with accessory to the murder of 26-year-old Braeden Sparvier.
Shari Heathen, 27, also of Onion Lake, was arrested in July 2020 and charged with second-degree murder for Sparvier’s death.
Turtleford RCMP say Sparvier’s body was found east of St. Walburg in the R.M. of Frenchman Butte on Jan. 1, 2020.
Bird is scheduled to appear in Lloydminster Provincial Court on April 12.
Heathen’s defence lawyer Blaine Beaven, at a previous court appearance said that he submitted a resolution proposal to the Crown. She appears next on April 6.
The charges against Heathen and Bird haven't been proven in court.
