Accused murderer Philip Butler has elected for his case to be overseen by a judge and jury, should it go to trial.
Butler, 36, appeared in provincial court in St. John’s via video from Her Majesty’s Penitentiary Monday morning, as his lawyer, Karen Rehner, represented him in the courtroom.
Butler is accused of murdering his brother, George Butler, at a home on Comerford’s Road in C.B.S., last Victoria Day weekend. Court documents indicate George lived at the address.
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Philip Butler was arrested and made his first appearance in court two days later, where he was charged with second-degree murder and breaching a court order.
On Monday, a preliminary inquiry into the matter was set for Jan. 7, 2019. Over the course of eight days, a provincial court judge will hear evidence in the murder case and will then determine whether or not there’s enough evidence to send it to trial at Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court.
Butler is facing a number of unrelated charges, including two counts of uttering threats, assault, and multiple counts of breaching court orders. He’ll be back in court to deal with those on Aug. 27.
