A suspect accused of manslaughter after a man was found dead behind a Lowertown rooming house on the weekend made his first appearance in court yesterday.
Daniel Guindon, 40, appeared briefly in court to have his case adjourned to 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
The Ottawa resident’s next appearance will be by video remand and he is being held at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, said his lawyer, Gary Barnes.
Police charged Guindon with Ottawa’s second homicide of 2008 after the body of a 38-year-old man was discovered Friday behind the Shepherds of Good Hope’s rooming house, at 80 Nelson Street.
Police cordoned the area with yellow tape and covered the area behind the house with a tarp. Investigators photographed the scene. The body wasn’t removed until late Friday.
Although neither the victim nor the suspect were rooming house residents, neighbours said the area has been a trouble spot and that police regularly attend.
“There are a lot of shelters here,” said Mike George, a University of Ottawa student who lives at 219 Clarence St. His backyard overlooks the area where the body was found.
Although he was “pretty shocked” by the incident, it didn’t make him nervous about living in the area.
A resident of 255 York Street, who declined to be identified, said the area has “a lot of shady activity.”
“I’ve seen drugs lying out here on the sidewalk,” said the man. “We’re moving out in August. I can’t wait.”
