Man accused in fatal Halifax shooting to stand trial in April 2024

A Nova Scotia manfacing two counts of first-degree murderwill go to trial in 2024on one of those charges.

Adam Joseph Drake, 31, wascharged afterTyler Keizerwas shotin north-end Halifax in November2016. The 22-year-old mandied later in hospital.

A lawyer for Drake appeared Thursday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court to set dates for thetrial, which is scheduled to begin April 2, 2024, and run until May 3.

That was the earliest time-slot availablefor thefive-week jury trial.

Drake was originally supposed to stand trial inKeizer's death last year, but the Crown withdrew the chargejust before the trial was scheduled to begin after saying there was no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction.

Accused in Pat Stay killing

The charge was resurrected after Drake was accused of killing Dartmouthbattle rapper Pat Stay in September of this year.

The 36-year-old Staywas stabbed outside a bar in downtown Halifax and died later in hospital. Drake was chargeda week after the stabbing and has been in custody ever since.

Drake's lawyer, Stan MacDonald, is objecting to the way the murder charge in the Keizer case has been reinstated. The Crown preferred an indictment, meaning the charge has been sent straight to trial without a preliminary inquiry.

MacDonald said he wants to challenge the process before the trial. No date has been set for that or other pre-trial motions to be dealt with.

A preliminary inquiry on the Stay murder charge is scheduled for next September.