The murder trial of Christopher Sim was put on hold Monday after the accused killer refused to leave his jail cell and attend court.
Family and friends of the Sim say the accused is playing games with the justice system.
READ MORE: Trial underway for Hamilton Mission Services stabbing death
Last week, Jheidon Serieaux, 26, repeatedly referred to the judge as “Your Majesty” while opting to defend himself on a first-degree murder charge that could end with a life sentence.
Serieaux is accused of stabbing Sim in 2021 in the parking lot of the former Mission Services building on James Street North.
Justice Harrison Arrell said this morning he’d been told Serieaux was “refusing to leave his cell and come to court” from the Hamilton Wentworth Detention Center, a development that left those close to Sim distraught and frustrated.
“As a matter of a fair trial, the judge has to ensure the accused can hear all the evidence and testimony against him so that he can respond,” Peter Boushy, a lawyer, told CHCH News.
“It’s even more pressing in this case since Serieaux has chosen to conduct his own defence and has to be able to follow the case closely so that he can make his case.”
On Monday, lawyers suggested to the judge that Serieaux was off his medications in jail and would be “more comfortable” in a mental health centre in Penetanguishene, a facility he’s been in before.
In the end, the court agreed to send him there for the trial to proceed.
“I think he’s playing a game, and he knows he’s playing a game. He’s seen all the evidence that was given, and he knows what he did,” Christine Flegg, Sim’s mother, said.
The Crown has agreed to let the trial proceed over Zoom to ensure a fair process that will allow it to move forward.
The trial will resume on Wednesday.