A Delta man has entered a not guilty plea to two counts of trafficking of a controlled substance in connection with a high-profile South Delta fentanyl overdose case last year.
On Tuesday, 21-year-old Delta resident Daniel Chun Chesshire entered the not guilty plea during his third appearance in Surrey provincial court. He also elected a trial by judge and jury with a preliminary hearing.
The preliminary hearing, which will determine whether there is enough evidence to go to trial, has been set for five days beginning Sept. 10, 2018 in Surrey provincial court.
Chesshire’s lawyer, Garry MacDonald, told the Optimist the court had earlier dates in August, but that many of the Delta police witnesses were on vacation and unavailable.
Delta police initially arrested Chesshire, but released him pending further investigation. He was then issued a summons to appear in court following that investigation when the charges were formally laid in early September.
In September of 2016, within a 20-minute span, police received reports of overdoses from four separate locations in South Delta involving nine young adults.
In each case, the victims reported respiratory problems, including one person in full cardiac arrest. Delta firefighters and paramedics attended the four scenes and used Narcan on eight of the nine overdose victims, all of whom survived.
DPD says the nine individuals were recreational users who believed they were using cocaine.
