Convicted killer and aviation empire heir Dellen Millard is broke, court hears

Dellen Millard is seen in this file photo.

TORONTO -- A convicted killer who is heir to an aviation empire told court on Friday that has no money to pay for his defence in two upcoming murder trials.

Dellen Millard, who was convicted of first-degree murder along with Mark Smich in the death of Tim Bosma in June, told court he has filed for legal aid.

Millard was in court as a judge tries to expedite the process for his legal aid application to ensure the two scheduled trials aren't delayed.

Smich and Millard are scheduled to go to trial next September on first-degree murder charges in the death of Toronto woman Laura Babcock.

Millard is also charged with first-degree murder in the death of his father, Wayne Millard -- CEO of Millardair until his death in 2012 -- with that trial scheduled for March 2018.

Justice John McMahon held Friday's court hearing to seek clarity on Millard's finances because the convicted killer has yet to hire a lawyer for both upcoming trials.

Court heard Millard has a 50-per-cent stake in Millardair and Millard Properties, with his father's estate owning the balance.

Those companies are now in court-appointed receivership, which means their assets are effectively frozen.

The Bosma family has filed a $14-million lawsuit against Millard and Smich, but court heard that process remains at a standstill because of the receivership proceedings.

Bosma vanished in May 2013 after he took two strangers for a test drive in a truck he was trying to sell online. His remains were found in an animal incinerator -- dubbed The Eliminator -- that police located on Millard's farm in southwestern Ontario.

A Hamilton jury found Millard and Smich guilty of first-degree murder.

Millardair was founded in 1963 by Dellen Millard's grandfather, Carl, who turned it into a multi-million dollar business -- first shipping cargo and later as a passenger air transport service. After Carl died in 2006, his son Wayne took over.

Dellen Millard took control of Millardair after his father's death, which was initially deemed a suicide. According to documents filed in commercial court, Millard is the beneficiary of his father's estate.

However, Millard cannot inherit his father's estate because he is charged with his murder.