2 violent offenders admit punching, kicking Dennis Oland in prison

Two violent offenders charged with assaulting DennisOland in prison last year have changed their pleas to guilty.

Cody AlexanderMuise, 27,and Aaron Marriott, 26, of Halifax, were scheduled to stand trial in Miramichi provincial court on Tuesday morning but instead entered the new pleas.

They admitted to punching and kicking Olandand knocking him to the ground in the visitor's area of Atlantic Institution, a maximum security prison inRenous,on July 31, 2016.

Oland, 49, suffered injuries to his face and was treated at the institution,said Crown prosecutorMelanieMacAulay.

MacAulay did not disclose the severity of Oland'sinjuries or suggest any possible motive but revealed details about the assault for the first time.

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She saidOlandhad two visitors that day, and they were the last visitors in the room.AsOlandwas standing talking to them,Muiseand Marriott approached and attacked, MacAulaysaid.

Muise, a convicted murderer, and Marriott, convicted of attempted murder, started taking swings atOlandand continued to punchand kickhim while he was on the floor, shesaid.

Oland's visitors tried to break it upby standing between him and his attackers, but the assault continued untilguards jumped in,MacAulay said.

Oland was serving a life sentence at the time after being foundguilty of second-degree murderin the 2011 bludgeoning death of his father, Saint John multimillionaire RichardOland.

He was laterreleased on bailafter the New Brunswick Court of Appeal overturned his conviction andordered a new trial, citing an error in the trial judge's instructions to the jury.

Olanddeclines to comment

Olandwas not present in court on Tuesday. Oland family lawyer Bill Teed offered no comment "at this time."

The Crowndid not disclose the identity or gender of the two visitors who witnessed the assault.

MacAulay said she will be requesting victim impact statements before sentencing, scheduled for Nov. 23 at 1:30 p.m. in Miramichi via video feed from the Atlantic Institution.

Because the assault occurred at the maximum security prison, the Crown was proceeding by way of indictment, rather than the lesser summary offence of assault.

Indictable assault carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

More assault charges

Muise and Marriott, who were both handcuffed and quiet throughout the court proceedings, agreed to the facts, as relayed by MacAulay.

Judge Natalie LeBlanc asked both men if they had anything to say, but both declined.

Both Muise and Marriott are facing additional, unrelated charges.

'We just want tomake it abundantly clear that [Dennis Oland] has not been involved in any way, shape or form withrespectto the laying of chargesagainstthese twoindividuals.'- Bill Teed, Oland family lawyer

The inmatesare co-accused of assault causing bodily harm, and Marriott is charged with assault in another case.

They have not entered any pleas. They will appear in court at a later date on those charges.

Oland's family lawyer previously told CBC NewsOlandplayedno role in the assault charges being laid against Muise and Marriott.

"I just want tomake it very clear on behalf of DennisOlandthat Dennis at no time has laid any complaint withrespect to any alleged assault," Teed said in February.

Olandwas not involved in any investigation or any discussion with the Crown prosecutor's office, Teed said at that time.

"There's beensomeinference drawn by some that he has, and we just want tomake it abundantly clear that he has not been involved in any way, shape or form withrespectto the laying of chargesagainstthese twoindividuals," he said.

The RCMP northeast district laid the charges against Muise and Marriott.

Muiseis serving a life sentence for first-degree murder in a 2010 shooting death in Spryfield, N.S.

Marriott is serving a 15-year sentence for attempted murder in connection with ashooting outside the IWK children's hospital inHalifax in2008.

Olandhas been living in the Saint John areaunder court-imposed conditions for nearly a year, pending his retrial.

Nodate has been set yet, because of some unresolved issues, but the trial is expected to be held in 2018. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Nov. 2 at 10 a.m.

Oland is accused of killing his 69-year-old father, whose body was discovered lying face down in a pool of blood in his Saint John investment firm office on July 7, 2011.

The businessman had suffered 45 blows to his head,neck and hands.His son was the last known person to see him alive, during a visit at hisoffice the night before. No weapon was ever found.

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