The presiding Court of Queen's Bench Justice over accused killer Robert Daignault's case has ordered court to reconvene Friday (Jan. 7) to allow time for the accused to be tested for COVID-19.
The nine-day first-degree-murder trial of 30-year-old Uber driver Kasif Harani, whose body was found on a rural road near the Springbank airport on Dec. 29, 2019, was set to take place Jan. 4. It was delayed to today after it was learned the accused was exposed to a positive case of COVID-19 and the entire unit at the Calgary Remand Centre was in self-isolation.
Daignault's defence lawyer, Adriano Iovinelli, was in court Jan. 5 after he had spoken with his client the previous day, where it was confirmed the entire remand centre unit had refused to be tested for COVID-19.
Daignault, who is currently in self-isolation, appeared Wednesday via telephone to relay that he had made a request to Alberta Health Services to be voluntarily tested for the virus in hopes that the trial can proceed in person.
Even if Daignault's test comes back negative, the soonest the trial could proceed in person would be Jan. 14 based on the remand centre's COVID-19 protocols, which are guided by the chief medical officer of health.
Justice Robert Hall has ordered the accused be tested as soon as possible, with the results provided promptly, so that the court can determine trial scheduling going forward.
