Trial set for one of six charged after shooting death of Joedin Leger

A trial date in 2026 has been set for Jerek England, one of six people accused in the 2022 death of Moncton teen Joedin Leger.

England, who is charged with manslaughter, appeared in Moncton court on Tuesday morning. His lawyer, Nathan Gorham, participated by telephone.

A trial by judge and jury was scheduled for Feb. 17 to March 2, 2026, in the Court of King's Bench. The Crown proposed a number of other potential trial dates, but the defence was not available for any of them.

England, 25, will appear in court again on Oct. 18 at 9:30 a.m. for a pre-trial conference.

Another man, Riley Phillips, faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Leger, who was 18 when he was shot at a duplex on Logan Lane in Moncton's north end on April 25, 2022.

Three other people were charged with manslaughter in the same case, including Hayden LeBlanc, Hunter England and Nicholas McAvoy.

McAvoy, 26, and Leblanc, 20, were sentenced to five years behind bars earlier this summer after pleading guilty, though they will serve less than two years in custody because of time already served.

First-degree murder is a homicide that's planned and deliberate, while second-degree is a homicide that's generally unplanned. Manslaughter is a homicide that's committed without intent, though there may have been an intention to cause harm.

A sixth person was charged in connection with Leger's death, but he was under 18 at the time of the alleged crime, so his name cannot be reported.

He pleaded guilty in November 2023 to manslaughter and was given the maximum sentence under the Youth Criminal Justice Act of three years. With time served in custody, that left him with one year left of his sentence, to be served in the community.