Schedule for N.S. man's sexual assault retrial now in question

A Nova Scotia man accused of a violent sexual assault against his teenage girlfriend has a new lawyer, his sixth since he was arrested in 2015.

The addition of new counsel is raising questions about whether the retrial for Michael Raymond Kobylanski, 43, will be able to proceed as scheduled early next year.

Kobylanski is facing four charges, including sexual assault with a weapon and uttering death threats.

He was originally tried in 2017 on six charges, but the jury was deadlocked on the most serious charges.

They convicted him of assault and found him not guilty of overcoming resistance by choking.

He appealed the conviction, but lost. The remaining charges have been set for a new jury trial.

Crown opposed to further delays

During an appearance in Nova Scotia Supreme Court Thursday, defence lawyer Quy Linh said he was prepared to represent Kobylanski at trial, which is scheduled to begin on Jan. 20.

But Linh questioned whether he'd be ready to proceed on that date. The Crown is opposed to any further delays in a case that has had several setbacks, including the high turnover in defence counsel.

The case will return to court next month, when lawyers are expected to advise the judge on whether the current trial dates are still feasible.

Kobylanski is currently on house arrest under strict conditions.