A man, Calvin Burns-Smith, who is accused of killing a woman in Rothesay in Musquash last year, is facing trial for separate charges of threatening another woman. Burns-Smith, 31, appeared in court briefly on Tuesday morning to set trial dates for two counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm in April 2025.
Judge Kelly Winchester informed Burns-Smith that his trial is scheduled for two days on February 4 and 5 at 9:30 a.m., and he will remain in police custody on these charges. Burns-Smith pleaded not guilty to the allegations, which led to the postponement of his original trial date in June.
The murder trial for Burns-Smith, charged with second-degree murder and interference with human remains in the death of Sarah Teakles, a 26-year-old mother of two, is set to commence on May 3. Teakles was discovered deceased on April 17 in Maces Bay, southwest of Saint John. She was last seen three days prior to the discovery of her body while residing with her family in Rothesay.
Initially facing manslaughter charges, Burns-Smith opted for a jury trial following a preliminary inquiry in July 2025. The charge was later elevated to second-degree murder in August, and a direct indictment was filed by the Crown, bypassing the preliminary inquiry process. During a recent pre-trial conference, Burns-Smith chose to have a trial before a judge alone, with consent from Crown prosecutor Elaina Campbell.
Another pre-trial conference for the murder charge is anticipated to take place in early September.