ST. JOHN’S — A Crown prosecutor in Newfoundland and Labrador summed up her case against Tony Humby Wednesday arguing he groomed and abused vulnerable teenage boys in St. John’s, N.L., for more than 15 years. Deirdre Badcock told a provincial courtroom that the evidence she presented from 10 alleged victims showed Humby followed a consistent pattern of behaviour. She said he befriended boys who lived in group homes and earned their trust, only to start offering them alcohol and drugs in exchange for sex. Humby is facing more than 70 charges for alleged sexual violence and abuse, which Badcock said took place between 2007 and 2023. He was arrested in April 2023, and his trial has dragged on for more than a year. Defence lawyer Mark Gruchy will have the chance to rebut Badcock’s arguments on Thursday morning before beginning arguments in the afternoon for a so-called Jordan application to have many of Humby’s charges tossed out because of delays. Gruchy has argued that some of the alleged victims had inconsistencies in their stories. Badcock has said those inconsistencies were minor and peripheral. “All of this evidence shows a predator who can’t help himself, who can’t stay away from these children,” Badcock said. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2016 that someone accused of a crime had a constitutional right to a timely trial. The landmark R. v. Jordan ruling said a trial was delayed unreasonably if the proceedings — from the charge to the trial’s conclusion — topped 18 months in provincial court or 30 months in superior court. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2026 Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press
