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Nickerson kidnapping case in limbo for now.
Monday, June 25th 2012
A Yarmouth man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted two women still hasn't been interviewed by health professionals.
35 year old Gordon Frank Nickerson admitted to abducting a woman and her daughter from their home in Wedgeport on February 29th. He drove them to New Minas, where they escaped just before he crashed the stolen car.
In April, he pleaded guilty to all 12 charges against him.
After his last court appearance on April 30, Nickerson was sent to the East Coast Forensic Hospital in Dartmouth for a 60-day psychiatric assessment prior to a dangerous offender hearing.
Judge Alan Tufts was to decide today whether there was enough evidence to hold a dangerous offender hearing for Nickerson at Kentville provincial court.
Instead, Ken Greer — Nickerson's defence lawyer, told the court that in the two months since his client's last court appearance, no one from the East Coast Forensic Hospital had done the assessment.
While the Crown argued for a new, nine-day psychiatric assessment, Greer said it would not be enough time for a fair hearing.
Both lawyers said they've never encountered this situation and they'll be doing research between now and July 4 to try to figure out how to move the case forward.
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