One of my longstanding pet peeves is sentencing double-standards applied to police officers who break the law, so while my blood pressure rose briefly when I first came across this case, ultimately, it dropped once I read the details and agreed with Judge A. Peter Ross's sentencing decision in R. v. Planetta, 2021 NSPC 30. Nobody - not the Crown Prosecutor, not the Defence … [Read more...]
Brenda Ware’s Murder Epitomizes the Failure of Canada’s Justice System
Philip Toner murdered Brenda Ware less than six weeks after he was released from prison, where he served five years for raping a 15-year-old girl. According to documents obtained by CBC, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) had serious concerns about Philip Toner’s risk of re-offending. His parole was revoked three times during statutory release (after an offender serves two … [Read more...]
Membership has its Privileges: the Constable Adree Mohammed Zahara Story
On October 15, 2006, RCMP Constable Adree Mohammed Zahara fired nine bullets from her RCMP-issued pistol into the wall of her home during a domestic dispute with her partner, Constable Chuck Simm. A December 21, 2006, Saskatoon Star-Phoenix news report, shown below, informed readers that Constable Sahara pleaded guilty to a lone charge of careless use of a firearm related to … [Read more...]
Robert Poulin: 1975 St. Pius X High School Shooting
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. This particular entry is quite lengthy and is broken into the following sections: My Preamble Case Overview The Victims Good Parents and Family Life The Coroner's Inquest Coroner Uses Inquest as Platform to Promote Gun Control Coroner Deeply Critical of Parents A Page from the … [Read more...]
Firearm Prohibition Order Imposed After Nasty Breakup
On August 21, 2020, Newfoundland Provincial Court Judge Wayne Gorman issued a 4-year firearms prohibition order against a man identified only as Mr. AP (R. v A.P, 2020 58652) even though the Crown only sought a 2-year prohibition. “I have concluded that this is an appropriate case for the issuing of a section 111 Criminal Code prohibition. I have reached this conclusion … [Read more...]
At What Point Do We Deny Bail to Repeat Offenders?
NOTE: See my previous commentaries on Darian Henderson-Bellman's tragic death here and here. On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, Darian Henderson-Bellman was murdered, shot dead in the ultimate act of domestic violence. Her alleged murderer, Darnell Reid, was out on bail despite violating a restraining order barring him from contacting Ms. Henderson-Bellman. He … [Read more...]
Darian Henderson-Bellman: A Cautionary Tale of Domestic Abuse and Murder
Yesterday's commentary overflowed with my anger at our current Liberal government for their failure to fix Canada's Firearm Prohibition Order system. That failure, or more accurately this government's flat-out refusal to fix this broken system cost Darian Hailey Henderson-Bellman her life. In today's commentary I dig deeper into the story of her senseless murder. I do so … [Read more...]
Darian Henderson-Bellman: Murdered Because of Another Firearm Prohibition Order Failure
On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, Darian Henderson-Bellman was murdered, shot dead in the ultimate act of domestic violence. Instead of enjoying this August long weekend with family and friends, Darian Hailey Henderson-Bellman, the beautiful 25-year-old shown here, is dead because our government refuses to take seriously the threat of violent repeat offenders already prohibited … [Read more...]
Jennifer Quesnel’s Murder: Another Firearm Prohibition Order Failure?
June 10, 2020 Update via CBC: B.C. RCMP say they received no reports of domestic violence before Jennifer Quesnel was murdered by her estranged husband on June 1st, contradicting claims from her family. On Monday, June 1, 2020, every woman’s worst nightmare came true for Jennifer Quesnel. Her estranged husband, John Quesnel, shot and killed her with a gun he … [Read more...]
Mark Chahal’s Revenge: Man Executes Estranged Wife and Her Entire Family
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. On April 6, 1996, Mark Chahal travelled from his home in Burnaby to Vernon, where he executed Rajwar Gakhal, his ex-wife, and eight of her family members, including Rajwar’s younger sister Balwinder Kaur Gakhal. Balwinder was to be married later that day. In less than five minutes, Chahal wiped … [Read more...]
Trudeau-Appointed Judge Condones Violence Against Women
On January 13, 2018, Matthew Brown got high on magic mushrooms, stripped naked, then broke into the home of Professor Janet Hamnett. He beat her with a broom handle so badly he was covered in her blood when he ran from Hamnett’s home. In a decision I can only describe is repulsive, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Justice Michele Hollins refused to hold Matthew Brown … [Read more...]
John LaFleche Bludgeons Wife and Two Young Children to Death With a Baseball Bat
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. On Sunday, March 5, 2006, John LaFleche got really, really drunk, fought with his estranged wife Wendy, then grabbed an aluminum baseball bat and bludgeoned her to death. Then, fearing his children would grow up in abusive foster care like he did, LaFleche beat 7-year-old Victoria and 3-year-old Jesse to death … [Read more...]