Trial date set in Fort-Coulonge murder case

Trial date set in Fort-Coulonge murder case

The trial of a Fort-Coulonge man accused of murder will go ahead in the coming weeks, after an appearance in front of a superior court judge on Wednesday.

Johan Mitchell Blake MacLennan is accused of first-degree murder stemming from the death of Harold Plugowsky, 61, also of Fort-Coulonge. Police were called to a residence on rue Principale the evening of September 2, 2020, where they found Plugowsky with severe head trauma. He died in hospital the following morning. MacLennan, 37 at the time, was arrested and subsequently charged with first-degree murder after a brief court appearance on September 3.

According to Simon Pelletier, the crown prosecutor in the case, the preliminary motions are set to begin on April 21 and 22. The trial will get underway on May 19 until June 30 in courtroom #1 at the Gatineau courthouse. He added that there would be a one week interruption on the week starting May 30.