A peace bond that was filed by the father of convicted murderer Christopher Garnier against the brother-in-law of the victim, has been delayed.
Vince Paul Garnier, 54, filed the motion against Calvin Garneau in Halifax provincial court on June 1.
Included in the filing as additional complainants are Vince Garnier’s wife Angela, ex-wife Kim Edmunds and Christopher’s common-law partner, Brittany Francis.
Christopher Garnier, 30, is also named as a complainant. He has been handed sentence of life in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder and interfering with a dead body in the killing of 36-year-old Catherine Campbell.
Garnier was convicted of strangling Campbell, an off-duty Truro police constable, and dumping her body in a compost bin near a Halifax harbour bridge on Sept. 11, 2015.
In his application, Vince Garnier stated that between Nov. 21, 2017 and Dec. 20, 2017, Garneau swerved his vehicle “within mere feet” of the group as they were in the parking garage at the Halifax Law Courts during the murder trial.
Garnier alleges that on May 28, Garneau called the complainants “pieces of s**t” while staring directly at them from six or seven feet away. He also alleges that Garneau spat at Christopher and Edmunds as they walked with legal counsel, family and friends on the third floor of the Law Courts during the trial.
As a result of the alleged actions, Garnier says he “fears that Garneau will cause personal injury to him or his family, or damage their property.”
Garneau, who is married to Campbell’s older sister Amy, is not seeking his own peace bond against Vince Garnier or any of the other complainants.
WATCH: Christopher Garnier’s parole eligibility hearing adjourned until late August
Peace bond is too broad, judge says
A judge ruled to delay the peace bond in Halifax provincial court Tuesday night, as it was not specific to each complainant listed.
Vince Garnier was seeking to have Garneau ordered to avoid their family home in Bedford, as well as to avoid contact with the family for a 12-month period.
However, the judge told Garnier that each complainant needs to file their own peace bond, specific to their personal circumstances. Garnier told the judge that two complainants are not residing in the Halifax Regional Municipality, and the judge responded by stating that the peace bond needs more details.
Christopher Garnier’s sentencing hearing that will determine parole eligibility is scheduled to resume Aug. 13 and 14, and Vincent Garnier had hoped to have the peace bond processed by then to avoid contact with Garneau. But the matter is now scheduled to reappear in court on Sept. 11, 2018.
The Crown is arguing Garnier should serve 16 years before he’s able to apply for parole, while the defence is arguing for a period of 10 years.
–With files from Alexander Quon and Natasha Pace.
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