Garnier guilty of murder
Jury delivers verdict after 4.5 hours of deliberations
The trial of Christopher Garnier came to an emotional end Thursday as he was found guilty of the second-degree murder of Catherine Campbell and interfering with her dead body in September 2015.
As the jury announced its verdict Garnier’s girlfriend, Brittany Francis, and his family broke down in tears at the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in Halifax.
Campbell’s family remained mostly silent in the courtroom, but afterwards they too wept as they embraced prosecutors Carla Ball and Christine Driscoll outside the courtroom.
“All I want to say is that for almost two-and-a-half years we’ve sought justice for Catherine,” said her mother Susan after the verdict was reached.
The verdict was reached on Thursday afternoon, shortly before 2 p.m. It took the jury fourand-a-half hours to reach their decision.
The punishment for seconddegree murder is life in prison for a minimum non-parole period of 10 years, including any time spent in pre-trial detention. The jury can make a recommenda- tion for how many years Garnier must serve, but they cannot pass sentence.
Campbell, who grew up in Stellarton and worked as a police officer in Truro, was found dead in September 2015.
The Crown maintained she was killed in the early hours of Sept. 11 after meeting Garnier at the
Alehouse in Halifax and going back to his friend’s apartment where he was staying on Mccully Street.
Driscoll and Ball argued throughout the trial that Garnier had strangled Campbell and disposed of her body by carting it away in a green compost bin.
“We’re very pleased for the Campbell family, who have conducted themselves with dignity through this entire thing, and pleased that they have justice for their daughter,” Driscoll told media.
The defence, however, maintained Campbell was killed while engaged in consensual rough sexual activity with Garnier. Garnier said Campbell asked him to choke and hit her.
Defence lawyer Joel Pink said Garnier suffered from automatism afterward and doesn’t remember disposing the body, so therefore cannot be held responsible.
“The jury considered the evidence and they came to the decision and they felt they only needed four- and- a- half hours in order to come to the decision they did,” said Pink.
He added that instead of criticizing the jury it was important to “decide where we go from here.”
Pink said it’s too early to say whether he was going to appeal Garnier’s sentence.
Both the defence and prosecution must prepare for a parole eligibility hearing, which is scheduled for May 7, 2018.
Garnier was taken into custody as soon as the verdict was announced.