A man facing allegations of killing a woman in Rothesay last year will stand trial for separate charges of making threats towards another woman. Calvin Burns-Smith, aged 31, appeared briefly in court on Tuesday to schedule trial dates for two counts of uttering threats to cause harm or death on April 5 and April 17 in 2025.

Judge Kelly Winchester informed Burns-Smith that his trial was set for February 4 and 5 at 9:30 a.m., and he would remain in police custody. Burns-Smith pleaded not guilty to the charges, which led to the postponement of his original trial date in June at the request of his lawyer.

The murder trial of Burns-Smith, set to begin on May 3, relates to the death of Sarah Teakles, a 26-year-old mother of two, whose body was discovered on April 17 in Maces Bay. Burns-Smith faces charges of second-degree murder and tampering with human remains in connection with the case. Teakles, who resided in Rothesay with her family, was last seen three days before her body was found.

Initially accused of manslaughter in Teakles’ death, Burns-Smith opted for a jury trial with a preliminary inquiry in July 2025. The charge was later upgraded to second-degree murder last August, prompting the Crown to proceed with a direct indictment, bypassing the preliminary inquiry stage. During a recent pre-trial conference, Burns-Smith expressed his desire to change the trial mode to a judge-alone format, with the Crown prosecutor consenting to the request.

Another pre-trial conference for the murder charge is anticipated to take place in early September.