Supporters of boy killed at restaurant jam courthouse

Supporters of the family of a twoyear-old boy killed in an alleged impaired driving incident arrived at the Edmonton courthouse en masse Thursday, staging protests and packing hallways and courtrooms in response to a bail hearing for a 62-yearold man charged in the case.

Richard Suter, 62, was initially slated to appear Thursday morning. The case was postponed until the afternoon, where after three hours of arguments, Judge Janet Dix adjourned the matter until Friday afternoon to consider the arguments.

Evidence heard during the hearing is protected under a publication ban. Crown prosecutor J. P. Quenneville opposed Suter’s request for bail on all grounds. Defence lawyer Dino Bottos argued “it would be highly unusual not to grant bail” during the approximate two-year period for the case to wind through the courts.

Suter appeared via closed circuit from the Edmonton Remand Centre. He faces four impaired driving charges in the incident that killed Geo Mounsef and injured his parents, Sage Morin and George Mounsef.

Mounsef’s parents held framed photos of their son, who was crushed Sunday when an SUV crashed through a glass barrier at Ric’s Grill on the south-side restaurant’s patio where his family was dining.

A half-dozen sheriffs stood at the front of the courtroom as Dixon told roughly a hundred supporters that outbursts would not be tolerated. Most supporters wore blue and yellow ribbons, others had homemade Tshirts and hats bearing the slogan, “Justice for Geo.” At one point, a man stood up in the front row and called the accused a “murderer” before sheriffs escorted him out.

Earlier in the day, about 50 people rallied outside the courthouse.

Crystal Manuel, a friend of Geo’s mother, can relate to her suffering. Manuel said her 15-year-old brother died in 2008 when he was biking across the Dawson Bridge and was hit by a drunk driver.