Husband to stand trial for murder
Estranged wife stabbed to death, friend injured
A Calgary man will stand trial on first-degree murder in the stabbing death of his estranged wife and aggravated assault for stabbing her friend who tried to intervene during a bloody confrontation nearly a year ago.
Provincial court Judge Bruce Fraser on Thursday ordered James Allan Christians, 66, to go to trial at Court of Queen’s Bench for the death of Carmel Christians, 55, and for causing injuries to her friend Delores McMartin last Oct. 16 outside her friend’s home in the southeast community of Chaparral.
Fraser made the ruling after hearing submissions from Crown prosecutor Gord Haight — who called 11 witnesses including McMartin and two experts — and defence lawyer Bob Batting at the conclusion of a preliminary hearing that began last week. Batting had sought a committal on second-degree murder.
James Christians showed no emotion when Fraser read his decision. He will make his first appearance at criminal appearance court Nov. 21. The trial before a judge and jury is not expected to be heard until at least late next year or early 2016.
Christians has been in custody since his arrest shortly after the fatal incident.
Evidence heard at the preliminary hearing and the judge’s reasons for committal cannot be reported because of a publication ban.
According to court records, six weeks before she died, Carmel Christians sought an emergency protection order, telling a judge she believed her estranged husband was going to kill her.
Christians also had a history of violence against his first wife more than three decades ago.
Documents show a civil claim filed against James Christians on Aug. 17, 1979, by his then-wife Gail Christians alleged she was subjected to the defendant’s “cruelty.”
Gail Christians alleged her husband drank heavily, physically abused her and forbade her to leave their home.
Custody battles ensued for the next three years over their teenage son and home before she filed for divorce on June 10, 1982 — with a similar restraining order.
Less than a month later, James Christians gained entry to her home through the bedroom window.
She said in the court records he told her he was taking her to see their son in Sylvan Lake but, near Red Deer, he pulled her out of the truck and started hitting her with a crowbar and threatened to kill her.
He continued to drive and took her to a hotel in Red Deer where she agreed under duress to stop her divorce proceedings and to reconcile to avoid any further physical attacks.
The following day, July 6, 1982, she said he took her to the hospital in Red Deer so a doctor could attend to her injuries, which required eight stitches to close an open wound.
While at hospital, she told the doctor what happened and her husband was arrested and charged with attempted murder.
On July 30, 1982, James Christians was sentenced to 60 days in jail for breaching the restraining order.
A trial was set for Oct. 15, 1982, on the attempted murder charge. However, he was subsequently convicted of a lesser charge of assault and unlawful confinement and was sentenced to 18 months.