North Preston man pleads guilty to charges in human trafficking case

A young North Preston man has pleaded guilty to charges related to a human trafficking case.

Andre Jerome Gray, along with Doreze Marvin Beals, are accused of kidnapping and assaulting a 15-year-old girl and threatening to sell her into prostitution in April 2014.

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Both men were 18 at the time of the alleged offences. Their trial opened Monday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

But in a surprise development at the start of the trial, Gray pleaded guilty to confinement and common assault. His lawyer, Pat MacEwen, stressed that his client has pleaded not guilty to a charge of sexual assault causing bodily harm.

"There'd been ongoing discussions with the Crown," MacEwan said outside court.

"Wereached an agreement last week with respect to what counts Mr. Gray would plead guilty to and we entered those pleas today."

The remaining charges against Gray are now scheduled to be dealt with when he's sentenced Jan. 15.

Beals and Gray were arrested in April 2014 and charged with a series of offences after a girl told police she had been held against her will for two days in the basement of Beals' home on Clarence Street.

Charges against the two included human trafficking, kidnapping, forcible confinement, sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual interference.

Beals also faces weapons-related charges. His lawyer, Laura McCarthy,spent Monday morning meeting with the two Crown attorneys handling the case.

Shortly before noon, McCarthy announced that Beals would like more time to consider his next move. The case was adjourned until Tuesday morning.

Crown prosecutor Perry Borden told court that if the trial goes ahead on Tuesday, the girl who made the allegations against Beals and Gray will be the first witness.