The lawyers representing a man accused of killing his estranged wife are asking to withdraw from the case mid-trial, following complaints made to the Law Society of Saskatchewan.
Greg Fertuck complained about his lawyers, Morris Bodnar and Mike Nolin, in May and June.
The lawyers continued to represent Fertuck, unaware of the complaints, and weren’t notified until the end of August.
“It is fair to say defence counsel have been blindsided by this development,” Justice Richard Danyliuk wrote in a fiat.
The document didn’t outline the specifics of the complaint, but said the allegations are “very serious” and questions both lawyers “competence and professional integrity.”
“The fundamental trust underpinning the solicitor-client relationship has been irrevocably damaged such that neither lawyer can represent Mr. Fertuck any longer,” according to the fiat.
Fertuck is charged with first-degree murder in the disappearance of Sheree Fertuck. He is accused of shooting his estranged wife at a gravel pit in 2015.
Her body never found.
Fertuck’s trial began in September 2021.
The trial has been filled with delays — largely due to COVID-19 and the discovery of the alleged murder weapon.
Fertuck’s lawyers’ application to withdraw from the case is scheduled for Oct. 24.
During a closed case management hearing, Fertuck suggested he wants to represent himself.
But Danyliuk requested Fertuck get “independent legal advice” to weigh his options.
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