The five Gibsons men accused in the Pender Harbour May Day assaults will go to trial starting June 13, 2005.
There is intense public interest in this case, an alleged unprovoked attack with hockey sticks as weapons on a campground full of skateboarders. Five Court Watch members were in Sechelt provincial court Nov. 2 when, after months of delays, the defense and Crown lawyers finally agreed on that trial date. They also scheduled a pretrial conference for March 24 in North Vancouver.
At least 25 witnesses are expected to testify, and police are still conducting interviews with another 17 potential witnesses.
Four of the accused men, Daniel Wood, Michael Webb, Daryl Costello and Drew Johnson, are free on bail. Paul Johnson, Drew's older brother, was denied bail and remains in custody. The men all face the same charges from the May 24 incident in Pender Harbour: four charges of assault causing bodily harm, four charges of assault with a weapon, five charges of simple assault and one charge of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Several of the men have been charged with other offences.
Wood's trial for drunk driving is scheduled to conclude Nov. 12. Webb will be in court next fall to face charges of unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance.
