Sheep nabbing case goes to trial

Thursday, December 17, 2015

by JOE CALLAHAN

An Ontario sheep nabbing case will proceed to trial next year, says the Crown attorney involved in the matter.

The preliminary hearing into charges laid against Linda (Montana) Jones, Michael Schmidt and Robert Pinnell has concluded, and according to Crown Attorney Damien Frost, all three have been committed to trial on all charges.

A judicial pre-trial hearing is scheduled for April 20, 2016 in Superior Court of Justice in Peterborough.

The case dates back to 2012 when sheep were abducted from Jones’ farm in Northumberland County while the farm was under a Canadian Food Inspection Agency quarantine.

Jones, Schmidt and Pinnell face charges of conspiracy to commit obstruction of a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) officer, to transport or cause to transport an animal under quarantine, and conspiracy to defraud the public of a service over $5,000 under the Criminal Code.

Jones is also charged with obstructing a CFIA inspector under the Health of Animals Act, and Pinnell faces a further charge of attempting to obstruct justice and another for obstruction a police officer, both under the Criminal Code.

Charges have not yet been proven in court. BF