Confusion was the word of the day as two G-8 protesters made their first court appearance.
During a lengthy day in provincial court yesterday, Kiko Fransico Singh, 22, of San Diego, and Lindsay Rider MacKinnon 21, of New York City, appeared to answer charges of mischief to property over $5,000.
It's alleged the pair spray-painted two Canadian Pacific Railway cars at 9 Ave. and 6 St. S.E. Saturday night.
The pair were stopped by railway police who searched the Americans and allegedly found eight cans of paint on them.
When the accused first appeared before Judge Gerard Meagher yesterday morning, their matter had to be delayed to give the Crown prosecutor time to review a file from Immigration Canada, which has a detention order against the pair.
Later in the afternoon, the co-accused again appeared before the judge.
Defence lawyer Robert Haslam told the judge he understood the spray-painted messages did not contain any anti-G-8 messages.
The Crown attorney maintained they did, but could find no proof in information supplied by the arresting officers.
Contacted later in the day, CP Rail spokesman Len Cocolicchio said the railway company would not comment on the matter, although CP Rail estimates damage at $17,000.
Haslam told the judge the two Americans are only buskers looking to ply their trade in Canada.
"They stopped earlier in the day and just picked up some of the literature at a G-8 booth," he said, explaining why the pair were nabbed with anti-G-8 literature on them.
While freed on $500 bail for the criminal charges, the pair were still in custody yesterday pending an immigration hearing later this week.
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