Charges may be dropped for co-accused in wharf burning

Release conditions have been lifted for a woman charged with arson in relation to the burning of the Walton wharf.
Nova Scotia Legal Aid lawyer Karen Armour requested the undertaking conditions imposed on Kelsey Moore, of Hantsport, be dropped during an appearance in Windsor provincial court April 30.
Crown prosecutor Bill Fergusson told Judge Claudine MacDonald he was fine with Armour’s request, but emphasized that he is not requesting that the arson charge laid against Moore be withdrawn until her co-accused, Justin Shrum, of Walton, is sentenced on July 8.
“We don’t expect to proceed with Ms. Moore,” Fergusson said.
Shrum’s release conditions were altered to allow him to have contact with Moore in Windsor provincial court April 29. Shrum, who was originally charged with arson along with Moore in September 2012 at the age of 29, waived his right to a trial and pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of mischief during the same court appearance.
Moore, who was 28 when the arson charge was laid, is also facing a separate assault charge. She is due back in Windsor provincial court June 3 to enter a plea in the assault matter, and July 8 for disposition regarding the arson charge.
Several community members turned to a Facebook page called the “The Walton Wharf and What It Once Was” to lament upon losing the wharf, which was deemed irreparable after the fire and torn down. The wharf has long been considered a historic feature of the tiny, rural town.