Assault case for stepfather of missing Nova Scotia children delayed until summer

Posted May 4, 2026 11:07 am Updated May 4, 2026 11:09 am 1 min read File - Daniel Martell, pictured here in January 2025, is is charged with assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement involving an adult victim who cannot be identified. Ella MacDonald/Global News An assault case involving the stepfather of two missing Nova Scotian children has been rescheduled to July. Daniel Martell is due back in provincial court in Pictou, N.S., on July 7 to enter an election and plea.Crown attorney Bill Gorman said during a brief court appearance that the delay was needed to allow for additional disclosure.Martell, who did not attend the hearing, is charged with assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement involving an adult victim who cannot be identified. Get daily National news Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories. He is the stepfather of four-year-old Jack Sullivan and his six-year-old sister Lilly, who were reported missing in May 2025 from their home in Lansdowne Station, N.S., about 140 kilometres north of Halifax.The RCMP have said there is no evidence of a criminal offence in the children’s disappearance. Story continues below advertisement Extensive searches of the