Crown seeks parole eligibility of 16 years for man who killed off-duty cop

Driscoll told reporters the Crown believes Garnier should serve 16 years before he’s able to apply for parole.

Garnier’s lawyer, Joel Pink, declined to comment as he left the court, but Driscoll said it was her understanding the defence is seeking a period of 10 years before he can apply for parole.

Parole ineligibility for second-degree murder must be set between 10 and 25 years. The jury found that Garnier strangled Campbell, a Truro police officer, and used a compost bin to dump her body near a harbour bridge on Sept. 11, 2015, after the pair met at a Halifax bar.

Garnier, who has grown a bushy beard since his trial, sat quietly during the proceedings Monday. Wearing a blue collared shirt, a dark suit and glasses, Garnier did not speak during the hearing, but nodded his head in agreement as Arnold adjourned the matter.

The court heard from Garnier’s girlfriend, Brittany Francis, who the Crown said has submitted a character reference letter as part of Garnier’s hearing.

Driscoll said after reviewing Francis’s letter, prosecutors felt they needed to have text messages between Garnier and Francis submitted as evidence at the hearing because her letter did not provide “balanced information” about their relationship.

“Our goal as Crown attorneys is to address risk issues and matters that might need to be dealt with so that Mr. Garnier has a successful integration into society, perhaps, when the parole board deems that appropriate,” said Driscoll.

After Justice Joshua Arnold ruled the text messages were admissible, Pink called Francis — who did not testify at the trial — to the stand.

She was asked about messages in which she referred to Garnier having lied to her, and she said that had been in reference to him smoking marijuana. She said that was the only time he lied to her during their relationship.

Francis also told the court she and Garnier never fought, but were having some financial trouble and that he would get help from his parents without telling her.

When asked about references to Garnier cheating on her in their conversations, Francis clarified that Garnier never cheated on her, but that they did have some misunderstandings in that regard and that she was being “dramatic” in the text messages.

Under cross-examination, Driscoll pointed to a message Francis sent Garnier a few weeks before the murder that said: “You are a totally different person from when I met you. Not driven in the least.”

Francis conceded that Garnier did not have a solid job at that time and that caused her concern.

“But you guys are seeing this small picture through text messages. It’s not really fair to judge this conversation without having the rest of it,” she said, wearing coral dress and grey sweater.

She also conceded the pair had broken up on Sept. 10, 2015, but got back together the next day — hours after the murder.

Driscoll noted they then went about their normal lives over the next several days, before Garnier was arrested. Francis agreed Garnier told her nothing about the night of the murder during that time.

“So you’d agree with me that those are lies as well?” asked Driscoll.

Francis replied: “I don’t think that they’re lies. I didn’t ask him about them. I didn’t ask him if all this happened. I think a lie is looking at someone and lying to their face.”

A number of legal issues arose at the hearing, including a disagreement about whether time Garnier was in custody during an alleged breach of his bail conditions — 52 days — should be credited towards his parole ineligibility period. Arnold has not yet ruled on that issue.

The Crown said seven to 10 victim impact statements have been submitted as part of the hearing.

Garnier had argued at his trial that Campbell died accidentally during rough sex.

He is appealing his conviction in part because he says police interview tactics elicited a false confession.

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Aly Thomson, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Crown seeks parole eligibility of 16 years for man who killed off-duty cop

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