Cellphone expert wraps up testimony at Oland trial as storm closes court early

Oland trial examines cellphone evidence The court also got a glimpse of disturbing material to come in the Dennis Oland trial. Mike Cameron reports.

Dennis Oland trudged through a blizzard Wednesday morning, as did everyone else involved in his retrial, including cellphone expert Joseph Sadoun.

Sadoun was asked about multiple cellphone test calls made from Richard Oland's office building -- phone calls that connected with the cell tower atop Brunswick Square.

Sadoun was asked about the likelihood of a cellphone in Saint John connecting with a cell tower well outside the city in Rothesay.

His response: “Unlikely.”

The Crown believes Richard Oland's missing cellphone was not in Saint John, but in Rothesay when it pinged for the final time off the Rothesay cell tower. Witnesses saw Dennis Oland in Rothesay at about the same time.

An RCMP blood spatter expert from Nova Scotia is expected to be on the witness stand for the rest of the week.

Among other things, Sgt. Brian Wentzell was declared an expert witness in the size, the shape, and the distribution of blood at a crime scene.

Given the amount of blood that was found at the crime scene, where Richard Oland was found murdered, that makes Wentzell an important witness for the Crown and perhaps for the defence as well.

Wentzell says science plays a big role in his chosen field:

“Bloodstains follow the laws of physics especially if you're dealing with blood in flight,” he said.

Wentzell took dozens of photos of places in Richard Oland's office where blood had landed.

Saint John police called in Wentzell three days after the murder. The RCMP expert was asked in court about the apparent delay.

“It can limit your interpretation,” he said. “The best scenario is to arrive early, while the body is still at the scene.”

The weather eventually did get the better of Wednesday's proceedings. The courthouse was closed early, with the trial set to resume Thursday morning.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Cameron.