Halifax –
There is a legal battle going on in Nova Scotia over access to bitcoin belonging to a former medical student who was recently convicted of shooting a fellow student during a drug deal.
A lawyer representing the victim’s family says the value of the cryptocurrency could exceed $200,000.
Last Saturday, a jury declared William Sandeson guilty of second-degree murder in the 2015 death of Taylor Samson, a 22-year-old physics student at Dalhousie University in Halifax. .
Before the six-week trial began, Sandeson petitioned the court to return his Dell laptop while he was in custody awaiting a second trial. He was convicted of first-degree murder after his first trial, but the sentence was overturned. pending appeal.
In October 2022, Sandeson told the court that his Bitcoin account was worth between $8,000 and $10,000.
James Goodwin, an attorney representing the Samson family, said the court had finally approved Sandeson’s laptop request, but Goodwin was granted a preliminary injunction blocking the move in December 2022. The court said it will revisit the issue in May.
Samson’s mother, Linda Boutillier, and another son, Connor Samson, filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Sandeson.
Goodwin said his client is seeking special and general damages and wants Sandeson’s cryptocurrency to remain available in court even if the family wins the civil lawsuit. said.
This report by the Canadian Press was first published on February 24, 2023.
