Man charged for intimidating a witness

The RNC has charged a man with intimidating a witness of an ongoing trial in St. John’s.

Desmond Downey is currently on trial for manslaughter, a charge laid by the RNC in 2022. He is accused in the death of a 71-year-old on Wishingwell Road.

On Wednesday, the RNC received a report that Downey had been communicating with and intimidating a witness due to be called in court as part of his manslaughter trial. Today, Downey was charged with the intimidation of a justice system participant and breaches of his court order.

He will appear in court for those charges today.