Defence lawyer change further delays Renee Sweeney murder trial in Sudbury

One of the most anticipated trials in Sudbury's history has been delayed yet again, just two weeks before it was set to begin.

Steven Wright, 42, was set to stand trial for the 1998 murder of Renee Sweeney on Oct. 25.

But a Sudbury court heard Tuesday morning that the trial will be delayed until next month at the earliest.

That's because veteran Sudbury defence lawyer Berk Keaney, who has been on the case for more than two years, is now being replaced by Toronto lawyer Michael Lacy.

The reasons for the change are covered by a court-ordered publication ban.

But Keaney said in a released statement that he "declared a conflict" in the case and "all parties agreed it would be proper for me to step aside."

Lacy became well-known in Sudbury for defending Gerry Lougheedduring the by-election trial in 2017, but since then has taken several other prominent local criminal cases.

The new trial dates are expected to be set on Nov. 2.

This Dec. 11 will mark three years since Wright was charged with Sweeney's murder, which happened when he was 18 years old.

The murder trial was originally scheduled for May 2021, but that was put off until October due to COVID-19 concerns.