Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Sexual assault, bestiality trial adjourned until Monday

The trial of a Victoria man charged with sexually assaulting four women and committing bestiality has been adjourned until Monday to give his new lawyer time to get up to speed.
Photo - generic - Victoria courthouse
A Victoria man charged with sexually assaulting four women and committing bestiality tried unsuccessfully to plead guilty Thursday in B.C. Supreme Court.

The trial of a Victoria man charged with sexually assaulting four women and committing bestiality has been adjourned until Monday to give his new lawyer time to get up to speed.

“I’m looking at all the evidence to see whether the trial should proceed,” Tom Bulmer told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Brian MacKenzie.

Bulmer was asked to assist the accused, Darren Eugene Henwood, after his lawyer withdrew as counsel.

Henwood tried unsuccessfully to plead guilty Thursday in B.C. Supreme Court, but MacKenzie would not accept the plea because Henwood did not have a lawyer.

“I wish to just plead guilty,” Darren Eugene Henwood told Justice Brian MacKenzie.

“I don’t want to put them through that. … I will plead guilty.”

Earlier in the day, MacKenzie granted an application by Henwood’s lawyer, Christopher Mackie, to allow him to withdraw as counsel.

Mackie told the court he was making the application to withdraw “in order to fulfil my professional obligations and primarily for ethical reasons.”

“Given Mr. Henwood’s comments, I can appreciate the ethical position Mr. Mackie is in, so for those reasons I will grant your application to withdraw,” MacKenzie said.

The judge said he wanted Henwood to talk with a lawyer before entering the pleas.

Victoria lawyer Tom Bulmer said he would talk to Henwood and offer his assistance.

Henwood is charged with eight counts of sexual assault, four counts of assault, assault with a weapon, threatening to burn or destroy property and committing bestiality with a dog.

The offences are alleged to have occurred between January 2001 and February 2012.

Henwood was in B.C. Supreme Court for three weeks in late May and early June while voir dires — trials within a trial — were held to discuss whether evidence was admissible during his trial. At one point, the public was banned from the courtroom.

Henwood missed the first three days of the trial, which began Monday, due to illness. He was brought into court Friday in a wheelchair.

“Let’s see what happens Monday morning,” MacKenzie said.