CLARENVILLE, NL— Ten out of twelve men facing charges related to the improper killing of seals entered pleas this morning at Clarenville provincial court.
Six of the men pled guilty, while four pled not guilty.
Trial dates for the men who have pled not guilty have been set for Feb. 12, 13, and 14, while a sentencing date for five of the men who have pled guilty has been set for Feb. 8, and a sentencing date of Feb. 22 has been set for the sixth man.
A plea date for Jan. 11 has been set for one of the men who has not yet entered a plea, while a status appearance has been set for Jan 25. for the other man who has not yet entered a plea.
All men who pled not guilty will appear for a status report on Jan.18.
All twelve men are charged with failure to confirm that the cranium had been crushed as soon as possible, and failing to bleed the seals as soon as possible after palpation has confirmed that the cranium has been crushed.
Two of the men, one of whom has pled guilty and the other who has not yet pled, face additional charges, including skinning a seal before properly bleeding it, and killing the seal in a manner that is not designed to kill it quickly.
The alleged incidents occurred in April of 2017, at or near Sealing Area 7.
