The 46-year-old entered a plea of not guilty at the start of jury selection last week in Saint John.
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Adamson told the court that she spoke with the younger Oland for a few minutes when he arrived at the office the previous evening before Richard Oland joined the conversation.
Richard Oland’s secretary says she panicked when she walked into the businessman’s office and found his body in July 2011, telling his son’s murder trial Thursday that she noticed a strong odour when she arrived for work.
He said Richard Oland was killed in a violent outburst that resulted in 40 blows to his head and neck. “The perpetrator for whatever reason or reasons continued way beyond what was required to cause Richard Oland’s death”.
Crown attorney P.J. Veniot told the jury in his opening submission on Wednesday that despite witnesses who said he was wearing a brown jacket, Dennis Oland told police he had worn a blue blazer on July 6.
The Crown’s opening statement also touched on the relationship between father and son, with Veniot saying it was more like that of a client and banker.
The prosecutor said Richard Oland was wealthy and worth more than $30 million, but his son was in dire financial straits.
The Crown made the allegation as the trial of Oland’s son, Dennis Oland, began in Saint John.
When, a week later, Saint John Police executed a search warrant on Dennis Oland’s home – just as they told him they would – among the items seized was a brown sports jacket fresh from the dry cleaners, where it had been taken the day after Dick Oland’s body was discovered.
By July 6, 2011-the day Veniot said Dennis visited his father’s office -Dennis had maxed out a $163,000 line of credit and had secured an advance from his employer in June 2011.
“On July 6, 2011”, he told the jurors with remarkable understatement, “the accused was living beyond his means”.
The Oland family operates Moosehead Breweries – the oldest independently owned brewery in Canada – although Richard Oland left Moosehead in 1981.
Testing of the jacket found blood in four places, and Veniot said an expert will testify that the DNA matched that of Richard Oland.
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The trial continues today and is expected to last 65 days.
