A man facing murder charges in connection with the death of a woman in Musquash last year is now set to stand trial for separate allegations of making threats against another woman. Calvin Burns-Smith, aged 31, appeared briefly in court on Tuesday to schedule trial dates for two counts of uttering threats to cause harm or death, one from April 5 and the other from April 17 in 2025.

Judge Kelly Winchester informed Burns-Smith that his trial is scheduled for two days on February 4 and 5 at 9:30 a.m., and he will remain in police custody pending these charges. Burns-Smith pleaded not guilty to the allegations, which led to the postponement of his original trial date in June upon his lawyer’s request.

In a separate case, Burns-Smith was already in custody on the threat charges when he was arrested by the RCMP on April 21 last year for the murder of Sarah Teakles, a 26-year-old mother of two. Teakles’ body was discovered on April 17 in Maces Bay, leading to Burns-Smith being charged with second-degree murder and tampering with human remains. The murder trial is set to commence on May 3.

Originally charged with manslaughter in relation to Teakles’ death, Burns-Smith later chose a jury trial during a preliminary inquiry in July 2025. The charge was elevated to second-degree murder the following August, prompting the Crown to file a direct indictment, bypassing the preliminary inquiry. In a recent pre-trial conference, Burns-Smith’s defense lawyer requested a trial before a judge alone, a request to which the Crown prosecutor agreed.

Another pre-trial conference for the murder charge is anticipated to take place in early September.