Friends of man accused in crowbar attack get restraining order

EDMONTON — Friends of a man accused of breaking a woman’s arms with a crowbar in an alleged act of road rage have been granted a restraining order against him, saying they fear for their lives.

Jared Matthew Eliasson, 28, was charged in March with attempted murder, possession of a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault in what Edmonton police called a road rage attack. Police say the 34-year-old woman was driving to her home and honked her horn while passing a car that was stopped on a street. When she got out of her car outside her home, a man ran up and struck her on both arms with a crowbar.

Eliasson was himself a victim of a violent crime in 2014 when he and a friend, Christopher Northam, were stabbed while walking down a street.

Northam, his wife Samantha Massey and her parents sought a restraining order against Eliasson after reading about the March crowbar attack. They were fearful he would get bail.

In their affidavit, they said they had growing concerns about their friend, including a text message to Northam that said “I am going to kill you.’’

“Given his escalating, extremely violent behaviour, we are all afraid for our lives,’’ Samantha Massey wrote in the affidavit.