Leslie Douglas Greenwood's murder convictions overturned

One of three men convicted of murdering a Nova Scotia couple in their home 14 years ago has had his conviction overturned.

Leslie Douglas Greenwood was convicted in 2012 of the murders of Kirk Mersereau and Nancy Christensen. They were gunned down in their home in Centre Burlington, Hants County, on Sept. 9, 2000.

It was 10 years before police laid their first charges in the case.

Michael Lawrence pleaded guilty in January 2012 to murdering Mersereau and Christensen. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Lawrence also pleaded guilty to murdering Charles Maddison the day before Mersereau and Christensen were killed. Lawrence posed as a hitchhiker to kill Maddison and steal his truck to use as a getaway vehicle in the other two killings.

Maddison's truck was torched after the murders were complete.

Lawrence testified against Greenwood at his trial in 2012. The trial judge cautioned the jury that Lawrence was an unsavoury character and they should be careful about his evidence.

The trial judge also allowed the jury to hear videotaped evidence from a third man, Curtis Lynds.

Lynds co-ordinated the killings on behalf of his uncle, Jeff Lynds, who was a member of the Hells Angels. According to police, it was Jeff Lynds who ordered the killings of Mersereau and Christensen.

Curtis Lynds pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the spring, just before he was to go to trial. His uncle, Jeff Lynds, died in prison in Quebec. The elder Lynds was never charged in these crimes.

In a decision released this week, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruled the jury in Greenwood's trial should never have heard the video of Curtis Lynds.

The court pointed out Lynds wasn't in the Hants County home when Mersereau and Christensen were killed and his comments were highly prejudicial to Greenwood's case.

Lawrence's testimony and Lynds's video both suggested Greenwood had along with Lawrence shot and killed the couple.

Greenwood admitted to being at the home, but he said he only went there to buy drugs and tobacco and had left the house when he heard gunshots. He said Lawrence acted alone in the killings.

A spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service said Greenwood will be retried for the murders of Mersereau and Christensen.

He is currently facing two first-degree murder charges in Quebec and those must be dealt with first before the Nova Scotia retrial can be done.