Face of Nation : Dennis Oland has been found not guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his father Richard Oland, eight years to the month after the multimillionaire was bludgeoned to death, following his retrial in Saint John.
Justice Terrence Morrison of New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench delivered his decision at the Law Courts building on Friday morning to gasps and a scattering of claps in the packed courtroom.
Morrison, who had been deliberating for 10 weeks, said “there is much to implicate” Oland in the killing. The body of Richard Oland, 69, of the prominent Moosehead Breweries family, was discovered face down in a pool of blood in his uptown Saint John investment firm office the morning of July 7, 2011.Morrison also noted “some frailties” in Dennis Oland’s testimony.
“In light of those and the evidence as a whole, I cannot accept outright the accused’s denial of guilt,” he said. “However, I am not confident that I can accept the Crown’s version of events” in the circumstantial case.
More than suspicion is required to convict a person of murder, he said. Probable guilt is not enough. The pieces of the evidential puzzle must form a picture that is consistent with guilt — and only consistent with guilt.
“In this case there are too many missing puzzle pieces to form a coherent portrait of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In short, I am not satisfied that the Crown has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that it was Dennis Oland who killed Richard Oland.”
Oland, 51, who sat with his defence team for the decision, immediately turned to lead defence lawyer Alan Gold and gave him a bear hug, then hugged lawyers Michael Lacy and James McConnell.
He wiped away tears and embraced his children, wife, mother, sister and other family members, then made his way through the crowd of supporters, sharing more hugs, handshakes and pats on the back.
