Sentencing Hearing for Catholic Priest Postponed

By Cory Hurley
The Western Star
January 23, 2013

http://www.thewesternstar.com/News/Local/2013-01-23/article-3162005/Sentencing-hearing-for-Catholic-priest-postponed/1

CORNER BROOK — One day would not have been sufficient to deal with the lengthy facts and numerous victim impact statements to be read in the sentencing hearing for Roman Catholic priest George Ansel Smith.

When that hearing was called Tuesday morning in Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, the 74-year-old had the matter postponed until Feb. 27-28. Crown attorney Trina Simms requested the new date.

She also told the court there is a new charge to be filed before that day. It originated in New Brunswick, the province in which previous charges were laid against Smith.

Throughout the court proceedings, new charges have continued to pile up.

Smith, who was not in court Tuesday and was represented by Tom Williams via telephone, has pleaded guilty to 40 of what are now more than 70 charges against him. All incidents involved young boys, and took place in various western Newfoundland communities from 1969-1989 as well as other places throughout Atlantic Canada.

The charges include counts of gross indecency, indecent assault and unlawful assault with intent to commit an indictable offence. There is a court-ordered publication ban in place against any information that may identify the victims or witnesses.

Meanwhile, Simms told Justice William Goodridge it was important to the Crown to read the facts into court on the same day as the sentencing hearing because a number of victims will be attending.

It is expected Simms will read facts that will be jointly accepted by the defence, but she said there are hours worth of information for her to get through to prepare that.