Pictou County man charged with killing mother in Thorburn axe attack appears in court

PICTOU, N.S. — A Pictou County man accused of killing his elderly mother with an axe made his first appearance in Pictou provincial court Thursday.

John Douglas Cress, 61, was charged with second-degree murder after an axe assault at a home on Greenwood Street in Thorburn on Monday. The assault triggered an emergency alert by the RCMP, who found Cress, injured and in the nearby woods.

With bandages around his wrists, the Thorburn man appeared before Judge Bryna Hatt. If he wants bail, he will have to make an application in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

A spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service confirmed the victim was Cress’s mother, Mary Evelyn Cress. They said they could not provide more information about Cress’s injuries or his hospitalization before being remanded into a corrections facility.

Mary Evelyn Cress’s obituary confirmed that she was 88 at the time of her death.

“Jurisdiction for conditional release is for the Supreme Court,” Crown attorney William Gorman said. “I am asking your honour to issue a certificate or a warrant, actually, that Mr. Cress be admitted into custody under the course of the law unless he files for Supreme Court release.”

Doug Lloy, Cress’s duty counsel for the appearance, said he’s been in contact with Ken Greer, who will represent Cress on the charge.

Cress will be back in provincial court Dec. 5, possibly to set dates for a preliminary inquiry.