R v McDermott

Decided: 2026-10-26. Docket: 2503-0054A. Citation: 2026 ABCA 341 (CanLII). Criminal and statutory offences — Appeal — Sexual interference — Whether jury instruction answers were accurate and sufficient — Jury questions about absent witnesses, transcript, and police statements — Functional and contextual assessment of jury instructions, R v Peterson, R v Abdullahi — No reviewable error found — Appeal dismissed | Procedure — Jury instructions — Jury questions — Did trial judge’s answer about why witnesses were not called require a direction not to speculate — Reasonable doubt arising from absence of evidence referenced — Prior closing instructions and written copy considered — Brief but accurate answers permitted, R v Abdullahi — Appeal dismissed | Procedure — Jury deliberations — Transcript