The trial of a Summerland man was delayed for the third time after he started sharing 鈥榗onspiracy theories鈥� while on the stand in a different case.

Garret Cole Sedawie appeared in Penticton Provincial Court on May 27 for what was planned to be a trial for charges of assault with a weapon and mischief under $5,000 from an incident that occurred in August of 2021.

It was the third trial date scheduled for the case, after a previous attempt in 2023 was canceled over disagreements that saw Sedawie seek out a different lawyer, and the most recent trial date on May didn鈥檛 make it much further.

The court was told that on May 23, while on the stand for a different assault case, Sedawie had begun talking about how he believed that RCMP and the alleged victim had conspired together to bring the charges forward as part of a plan to get him a criminal record.

鈥淲hat I鈥檓 concerned about is the current circumstances, your honor, whether he is fit to stand trial at this time given his testimony that day with regards to the conspiracy theories,鈥� Crown said.

After some discussion, including the unusual nature of having Crown prosecution be the one to ask for an assessment instead of defence, the judge agreed to order Sedawie to undergo a fitness test.

If Sedawie is deemed fit to stand trial, which means he is capable of understanding court proceedings and participating in the trial, he could still undergo a Not Criminally Responsible hearing at a later date.

Sedawie is currently scheduled to appear in court on June 26 to confirm that the fitness assessment process is underway.

According to court records, the case in which Sedawie spoke of the conspiracy theories is scheduled for a decision on June 3.