The jury hearing the second-degree murder trial for Christopher Garnier heard from several witnesses Monday morning, including two people who testified they saw a man with a green bin in the early morning hours of Sept. 11, 2015.
The Crown alleges Garnier, 29, killed off-duty Truro police officer Catherine Campbell, 36, by striking her on the head and strangling her before removing her body from a McCully Street apartment in a green bin.
Garnier has pleaded not guilty to Campbell’s murder and improperly interfering with her body.
READ MORE: Christopher Garnier murder trial to resume Monday
Ronald MacDonald, a garbage truck driver, told the court he worked an early morning shift in September 2015 and witnessed a barefoot man pulling a green bin. He identified his garbage truck in a surveillance video that shows a man pulling a green bin near Gus’ Pub.
WATCH: Surveillance video from inside the Halifax Alehouse on the night the Crown alleges off-duty Truro police officer Catherine Campbell was killed
A second civilian witness, Andrew Golding, testified he left his Gerrish Street home to walk to work every day at 4:45 a.m. On Sept. 11, 2015, Golding says he witnessed a man pulling a green bin along his route. Golding said he never spoke to the man but made eye contact with him. Golding says the man was pulling the green bin with his left hand and said it appeared the green bin was carrying some weight.
WATCH: Video of a man pushing a pushing a green bin from a McCully Street home
Several police officers also testified Monday morning including Det. Const. Michael Barkhouse, who told the court he photographed a necklace found on the roof of an Agricola Street business.
Const. Joshua McNeil and Const. Brad McLellan also testified. The two were partners in September 2015 and members of the quick response unit. Both told the court they assisted police searching green bins in north-end Halifax looking for evidence. The pair also drove towards the Macdonald Bridge, where McNeil noticed tire marks that appeared to be from a green bin.
WATCH: Christopher Garnier murder trial sees video of man pushing green bin
They later located a green bin with its lid open and a red jacket near some shrubbery in the same area.
Halifax Regional Police Det. Const. John Beer testified he was a member of the homicide unit in September 2015. Beer said he was tasked with going to the bridge commission and looking through survelliance video of the area.
Beer told the court he located video that showed a shadowy figure moving down the ramp and then a figure with a bin running across the screen in the footage. The video was played for the court but difficult to see. Beer told the jury you could see the figure dragging something behind them in one of the clips. The next time the figure appears on the screen they are not dragging anything.
Beer also told the court he located a bracelet that would be used to re-enter a bar near a wooded area by the Macdonald Bridge. He identified the bracelet as being from Cheers.
WATCH: Christopher Garnier murder trial sees first full day of testimony
Const. Adam Cole, a 12-year veteran of the Halifax police, said he and his partner were informed that officers McNeil and McLellan located a green bin and went to assist them. While on scene, Cole says they started to make their way along an embankment when he saw a large wooden box.
“The hairs on the back of my neck started to stand,” he told the jury.
Cole said he crawled along the embankment until he reached the box. Once he lifted it slightly, he said he could see hair. When Cole lifted the box up, he testified he could see a person with a tattoo on the back of the neck and a silver chain.
Det. Const. Randy Wood was the final witness to testify on Monday. He told the court he and another officer worked to photograph a large garbage bin that was located on the corner of McCully and Agricola Streets.
Inside the bin, Wood said he found a garbage bag with a set of Mazda keys and a Goodlife tag.
Wood and another officer later went to process the scene where the human remains were located. The officers shot video footage while approaching the scene, which was played for the court. Wood said there was a large feral cat box that was flipped up in a wooded area.
READ: Christopher Garnier 2nd-degree murder trial sees photos of suspected blood, hears from cab driver
When police got closer, he noticed skin beneath the brush. After clearing away some brush, Wood says officers located a body, which was face down. Wood described the back of the person’s body as being exposed and a tattoo visible on the person’s neck.
Catherine Campbell’s family sobbed as they watched the video from the front row of the courthouse.
Testimony in the case will resume Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax.
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