J-Tornado trial sits for third straight weekend

The J-Tornado trial continued Saturday in Saint John for a third straight weekend as the court attempts to make up for lost time.

With delays and several witnesses yet to be called, the trial, now in its sixth week, is expected to go well beyond its originally scheduled end date of June 3.

Shane Williams and Joshua Kindred are accused of several drug possession, trafficking and conspiracy charges.

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For a fourth straight day, the Crown's star witness, a former Saint John businessman with ties to the criminal underworld, took the witness stand. His identity is protected by a publication ban.

The man was hired as a police agent to collect evidence on the pair. Saturdayhe testified about his meetings with Williams in July and August of 2014.

The agent was directed by his handlers to try to obtain four ounces of cocaine from Williams. Williams told the agent that he didn't have any.

The agent told Williams he had a contact in Montreal that was supposed to be sending a shipment of cocaine to Saint John. He could buy some from him.

Met at Golden Grove property

But the agent testified Williams was becoming impatient. On Aug. 17, 2014, court heard they met at Williams'Golden Grove property on Saint John's east side. Williams allegedly told the agent he was sending a driver to Montreal to buy a kilogram of cocaine from someone else for $68,500.

After sending a car for the Aug. 17 drug pick-up in Montreal, Williams lost contact with his associates two days later and began frantically messaging the police agent, court heard.

They got busy in Lavel (sic). Cop told them they were monitoring there (sic) phones Message on phone linked to Shane Williams

"R (sic) these phones safe 100 percent?" he asked.

"I really don't know what's going on," replied the police agent, "I only know that the phones r (sic) 100 safe."

The phone associated with Williams later messaged the agent, telling him the car was intercepted by police in Laval and that he lost the kilogram of cocaine he had bought for $68,000.

Suspicious after Laval bust

The Laval bust made Williams even more suspicious about the phones he and his associates were using, court heard.

"They got bust in Lavel (sic)," said a message on phone linked to Williams that was shown in court. "Cop told them they were monitoring there (sic) phones."

Though he knew police were monitoring every message, the agent assured Williams the phones were secure and even gave him a new one.

Two kilogramsfor $100,000

On Sept. 7, 2014, Williams confirmed he would buy two kilograms of cocaine for $110,000, according to testimony. Two days later, when the agent sought to confirm the money would be available on the eve of the buy, Williams downgraded his order, saying in a message that another partner backed out.

On Sept. 10, 2014, Williams and Kindred were among 28 people arrested as part of an inter-provincial police drug investigation called Operation J-Tornado.

The defence will meet with the accused on Monday to go over the latest testimony. Their cross-examination of the police agent is scheduled for Wednesday.