BDSM RTV MEDIA NEWS!!!!



20 december 2010


Businessman, dominatrix back in court


Source: www.torontosun.com  - Toronto Sun - Canada


TORONTO- A rich businessman accused of conspiring with his dominatrix-mistress to murder his wife will be back in court next Wednesday possibly to set a new trial date.


Last month a mistrial was declared in the case of Alex Petraitis who allegedly plotted with Sandra Rinella to murder his long-time. The accused appeared briefly Friday in court.

Last week defence lawyer Eddie Greenspan urged the Scarborough prosecutors to appoint an outside counsel to review the case - hoping to stay the charges - rather than set another trial date.

“The events in this case are unprecedented (referring to the mistrial last month),” Greenspan told Justice Ian Nordheimer.

Court also heard that Rinella - who is no longer a dominatrix - is continuing to battle cancer and has health woes, including back problems.

Crown attorney Suhail Akhtar said there would not be a review and the prosecution will proceed with another trial.

“I don’t agree with Mr. Greenspan’s characterization of the events that unfolded in this matter,” Akhtar said.

Last month Justice Robert Clark terminated the trial for Petraitis and Rinella, telling the discharged jurors: “This trial is effectively void and the accused will now be remanded to set a new trial date.”

The evidence was almost completed when the mistrial was declared.
The couple was on trial for allegedly scheming to murder his longtime wife, Kirsten, and asking Rinella’s ex-lover, Kerry Bob Anderson, to perform the murder.

Petraitis, 68, and Rinella, 47, pleaded not guilty to conspiring to kill his wife and counselling Anderson, 46, to commit murder.

It’s the second mistrial granted this year. A jury was selected in February, but heard no evidence, before Justice Clark declared a mistrial due to the sudden death of defence witness Robbie Verch.

The defence asserted there was no serious criminal plot to kill anyone and instead the couple was engaged in ritualistic, fantasy role-playing.
The Crown alleged it was a real plan and Anderson was paid $100,000 to perform the execution, although he testified he was simply bilking Petraitis and never intended to harm anyone.