Glen Assoun agrees to compensation deal for wrongful conviction and years in prison

A compensation agreement has been reached between Glen Assoun and the Nova Scotia and federal governments for his wrongful conviction and the almost 17 years he spent in prison.

Nova Scotia Justice Minister Randy Delorey said Thursday the recently signed deal is confidential, and Assoun’s lawyers Sean MacDonald and Phil Campbell said the amount of the settlement and its details are not being released.

READ MORE: Glen Assoun fears he’ll die before receiving compensation for wrongful imprisonment

Assoun’s lawyers, however, praised the two levels of government for the settlement, and Campbell said federal Justice Minister David Lametti had done all that can be expected.

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Campbell says he hopes the deal serves as an example for similar cases in the future.

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Assoun lived under strict parole conditions for nearly five years after he was released from prison, before a Nova Scotia Supreme Court ruling in March 2019 reversed his 1999 conviction for the murder of Brenda Way in Halifax. The 1995 killing has never been solved.

Assoun suffered mental illness in prison, and he said he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required the insertion of stents – small mesh tubes that are placed in a narrowed coronary artery.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2021.