One of three people charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Spaniard’s Bay man has been denied bail.

Thirty-four-year-old Terry Cole took a deep breath and slumped in the prisoner’s box as Supreme Court Justice Philip Osborne rejected his bid for freedom this morning.

Given the gravity of the charge, the onus was on Cole and his lawyer to convince the judge that his release would not put the public at risk as the case makes it way through the courts.

But for a number of reasons that cannot be reported due to a publication ban, it was a firm no from the judge.

Cole, 41-year-old Matthew Kavanagh and 28-year-old Stephanie Noftall stand accused of planning and carrying out the killing of a 42-year-old man in Bay Roberts last fall.

The victim’s remains were found September 30th in a pickup that had been torched and left to burn on Country Road, leading to the additional charge of indecently interfering with a body.

Cole and Noftall face additional, unrelated charges of theft, impaired driving, dangerous driving, flight from police, and possessing property obtained by crime.

Noftall and Kavanagh, meanwhile, were granted bail three months ago pending the preliminary inquiry set for August, which will determine if there’s enough evidence to head to trial.