The Supreme Court has denied the Crown more time to hold onto evidence seized from the home of Kurt Churchill, citing shoddy work by the RCMP.

Churchill is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of James Coady on Craigmillar Avenue almost 18 months ago.

The items, including a money counter, boxes of vacuum bags and almost half a million in cash, were seized as police combed through Churchill’s house after the shooting outside in July 2020.

The Crown was granted three previous extensions to hold onto the stuff as they pursued a federal drug case against him, separate from murder and gun charges laid by the RNC.

But in his ruling, Justice Robert Stack said the RCMP, quote, “failed to carry out the (drug) investigation diligently,” pointing to numerous unexplained and troubling delays in gathering evidence.

He also dismissed an excuse that COVID-19 was to blame, stating the RCMP either lied to the court or, at best, was less than forthright in seeking another extension.

The judge scolded the Mounties for citing Churchill’s arrest in a 2014 drug bust, but failing to mention he was never convicted.

It’s been a rough go of late for the Crown and police investigators with charges dropped in two big cases—one involving nine guards at the Pen and another involving a homicide in the Goulds.

Last week prosecutors fought unsuccessfully to keep RNC constable Doug Snelgrove in jail pending an appeal of his conviction for sexual assault.

Churchill, meanwhile, remains free on conditions pending a preliminary inquiry in June in the murder case.