The Crown has argued its appeal of the acquittal of a Sarnia-area man of first-degree murder in the death of his common-law wife and is waiting to find out if it will get a new trial.

A Sarnia courtroom erupted with emotion in December 2023 after a jury found Shawn Trowbridge, 54, not guilty following two days of deliberations at the end of a grueling six-week trial. Several family members of the late Cheryl VanHuizen, Trowbridge’s partner of eight years before she died from external neck compressions on Dec. 31, 2020, gasped and shouted as the jury foreperson announced their decision while Trowbridge’s adult children wept and exchanged hugs.

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Soon after, the Crown filed a notice of appeal and asked for a new trial. The appeal was heard last week by a five-ju

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