Kirk Keeping, charged with first-degree murder in the death of Chantal John, has been denied a private lawyer paid by the Attorney General.

The decision to dismiss the application was made by a three-judge panel of the province’s Court of Appeal this morning.

It means Keeping must accept a Legal Aid lawyer, private counsel paid by himself, or represent himself at his trial which is now set for April of 2024.

The 39-year-old Keeping is accused of killing his ex, Chantal John, and trying to kill her mother, in Conne River in early January of 2019.

He was arrested the next day and has maintained his innocence.

Keeping fired his Legal Aid lawyers a day before the original trial was to start in 2019.

He then applied for a private lawyer paid by the Attorney General, which was denied by the Supreme Court.

Keeping then appealed that decision to the Appeal Court, which rendered its thumbs-down today.

He has not yet indicated how he will proceed, given today’s ruling,