Court to hear man’s appeal of convictions in deaths of Calgary couple, grandson

Justice David Gates said during sentencing that Garland attacked the three victims in the Liknes home in Calgary, then took them to his farm, where he killed and dismembered them, burning their remains.

Garland’s lawyers say one of the 10 grounds for the appeal is that the judge didn’t exclude evidence found on the farm at the jury trial.

The notice of appeal says Garland is seeking a new trial or a conviction on a lesser offence.

Other grounds for appeal included in the document include concerns about comments the judge made to the jury.

“The trial judge’s comments to the jury about coping with disturbing evidence reflected bias, was prejudicial to the defence case and undermined the presumption of innocence,” the appeal notice reads.

Defence lawyers also argue the consecutive period of parole ineligibility is excessive and harsh in the circumstances.

The couple and the boy disappeared after a weekend estate sale at the Liknes home. The couple was about to move to the Edmonton area and planned to spend winters in Mexico. Nathan was on a sleepover with his grandparents.

When his mother arrived the next morning to pick him up, she found a house with blood pooling on the floors and spattered around rooms. A child’s bloody handprint was on the wall.

The Crown argued that Garland had stewed for years over a dispute with Alvin Liknes about a patent for an oilfield pump they had both worked on and had fantasized about Kathy Liknes as evidenced by photos of her found in Garland’s deleted computer files.

The victims’ bodies were never recovered. Bone fragments, burned flesh and teeth were found in the ash from a burning barrel on Garland’s property.

— Follow @BillGraveland on Twitter

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Court to hear man’s appeal of convictions in deaths of Calgary couple, grandson

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