With the decision looming in the murder trial, Greg Fertuck makes another request to judge

There has been another twist in the case of Greg Fertuck, the man accused of killing his estranged wife Sheree in 2015 and dumping her body, less than two weeks before a verdict was expected.

In a fiat released Monday, Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench Justice Richard Danyliuk says Fertuck asked to reopen the proceedings and put another firearms expert on the witness stand.

Fertuck also wants to talk about applying for a mistrial, the document says.

Danyliuk ordered a hearing on June 10 to discuss Fertuck’s requests.

Fertuck has been representing himself since parting ways with his lawyers in 2022.

Danyliuk is scheduled to make a decision in the trial on June 14. He says this will still happen on that date.

Many delays in the case

Fertuck was arrested for murder after confessing to the crime in 2019 at the end of an elaborate undercover police investigation known as the Mr. Big sting. He has since claimed he made the confession because he was intimidated by undercover officers.

The judge-only murder trial began in September 2021. The case has been postponed several times for various reasons, including COVID-19 and the discovery of the alleged murder weapon.

In his clearly worded order Monday, Danyliuk says throughout the trial, he went above and beyond to accommodate Fertuck’s numerous requests.

As for the latest request, he says he can’t understand why Fertuck waited so long.

“Mr. Fertuck should know — because I’ve told him many, many times — that he can’t just stand up and ask for something,” Danyliuk said. “Often he must make a formal application, with notice to the Crown, of the reasons and reasons for the application, and evidence to support it.”

The judge ordered Fertuck to begin the application process no later than Wednesday, with a hearing set for five days after that.

Sheree Fertuck’s murder, the ensuing investigation and Greg Fertuck’s trial are the focus of a CBC podcast Pit. Listen to all episodes here.