N.S. RCMP officer gets stay of proceedings on sexual assault charges after trial delay

A sign for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is pictured on June 23, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Avery MacRae)

A Nova Scotia RCMP officer who was facing charges of sexual assault, choking and uttering threats has received a stay of proceedings due to a lengthy delay in his trial.

In a written decision, Judge Ian Hutchison said William McNutt was arrested on June 28, 2024. The Serious Incident Response Team charged McNutt on July 11, 2024 after a female alleged she had been sexually assaulted by the off-duty RCMP officer in 2023.

McNutt pleaded not guilty to the charges on Nov. 21, 2024. The last day of his trial was scheduled for July 29, 2026, more than 24 months after the arrest.

Hutchison cited R. v. Jordan, a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that established an 18-month time limit for a trial in the provincial court.

Hutchison said the “Jordan clock” began on July 11, 2024, which set the presumptive ceiling for the trial at Jan. 11, 2025.

“Delays beyond this time limit are presumptively unreasonable,” the decision reads. “Mr. McNutt argued that the delay in these proceedings exceeded the presumptive 18-month ceiling and was therefore presumptively unreasonable.”

Hutchinson said McNutt’s trial was adjourned three times so McNutt or the Crown could make pretrial applications.

“Exacerbating the delay arising from various adjournments of the trial was the limited availability of court dates in Shubenacadie Provincial Court,” the decision reads. “This limited availability of court dates was problematic.”

Hutchison ruled the Crown did not justify the delay with regard to exceptional circumstances and issued a stay of proceedings.

McNutt was also charged with sexual assault in November 2024, June 2025 and July 2025, in separate cases.

McNutt was initially suspended from the RCMP with pay in 2024. He was later suspended without pay.

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