TIMMINS - A man charged with murder and attempted murder has refused to appear in court.
Today (March 4), Lucas MacDonald refused to appear virtually from the Monteith Correctional Complex. He’ll appear in court in person next week to clear up concerns about his legal representation and the next steps in the case.
MacDonald is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Marcel Thoma and attempted murder with a firearm in the shooting of an OPP officer during his arrest in June 2024.
None of the charges have been tested in court and he is considered innocent unless proven guilty.
Because MacDonald missed today’s court appearance, the judge issued a discretionary bench warrant. It means if he appears at his next court date, the failure to appear matter will be dropped.
Crown lawyer Wayne O’Hanley agreed to an in-person hearing on March 11 at 3:45 p.m. at the Timmins courthouse. He said the Crown is ready for a preliminary hearing this summer.
MacDonald has had a handful of court appearances and is representing himself.
Defence attorney Ben Dawkins has offered to advise MacDonald during the procedure as an amicus, or friend of the court, in this matter.
A friend of the court does not represent a client but acts in the court's best interest. They ensure that nothing relevant is missed or not presented to the court as it should be by a self-represented person
Thoma's body was found southwest of Matheson in May 2024, a week after he was reported missing.
A weeks-long manhunt stretching from Matheson to Timmins's far east end led police to MacDonald. During his arrest on June 12, 2024, he allegedly shot at OPP officers on Night Hawk Lake. One officer was shot in the exchange of gunfire.
A Special Investigations Unit (SIU) report cleared officers of any wrongdoing in the incident.