Kurt Churchill, who beat a murder charge in St. John’s this morning, is in a Toronto jail, charged with sexual assault.

VOCM has learned that while his Toronto lawyers were in Supreme Court in St. John’s, getting him off on a murder charge, Churchill himself was due in a Toronto courtroom for a bail hearing.

And the charges are serious: sexual assault, uttering threats to cause death, and two counts each of breaching court orders and assaulting peace officers.

He made a brief court appearance at the Armoury Street jail in Toronto this morning, and remains in custody with a return date tomorrow.

Churchill was facing a second-degree murder charge in connection with the 2020 shooting of Jamie Coady on Craigmillar Avenue in St. John’s.

But his lawyers successfully argued that it took too long for the trial to start, and the charge went away this morning — shortly before their client’s name was called in Toronto.

It’s believed Churchill was still under court orders not to leave the province.

It’s not yet clear when or where the alleged sexual assault occurred.