Video shows highway pursuit before arrest of suspect
SUV led police cruiser on chase at up to 180 km/h, then was ditched
Jurors in the trial of two men accused of killing Allan Douglas Garrioch watched video of a high-speed pursuit on a Saskatchewan highway, with speeds at times topping 180 km/h, ultimately leading to the arrest of Steven Jaret Veilleux.
The first-degree murder trial of Veilleux, 44, and Tristan Daniel Morrison, 23, continued Friday in Saskatoon Court of Queen's Bench. Both are also charged with offering an indignity to human remains.
Garrioch was reported kidnapped during a home invasion on Feb. 25, 2020; his body was found days later.
RCMP Cpl. Conal Lerat was one of the officers asked to watch for a blue Jeep Grand Cherokee travelling toward Prince Albert with Veilleux inside, possibly armed, on March 4, 2020. On a grid road, he spotted a blue SUV driving toward Highway 3 with a driver wearing a baseball cap and turned on his lights to stop the vehicle, Lerat said. The pursuit was captured on the front in-vehicle camera system in his vehicle.
On the video, the vehicle is seen slowing down slightly and starting to pull over, then driving away quickly. The SUV then turns onto Highway 3, speeding up in the direction of Birch Hills. Other vehicles can be seen pulling over as it passes with the RCMP vehicle following. The pursuit continued to Weldon, Sask. On the recording, the SUV can't be seen for a few minutes as the RCMP vehicle drives around
the community. Eventually, it's visible off the side of the road in the snow, stopped with its lights still on.
Jurors heard the driver fled, but RCMP tracked him to a back yard, where Veilleux was arrested.
The jury also heard testimony from Cpl. Aaron Gullacher about the search of the scene where Garrioch's remains were found the morning of March 2, 2020.
He said investigators believed there might be a shell casing or projectile in the trees. They searched extensively, including with metal detectors, but “never did find anything,” Gullacher said.
A subsequent search of the scene in early May also found nothing, court heard again.
On Wednesday, jurors heard Garrioch died of a single gunshot wound to the neck.
RCMP found two shell casings in a Jeep Grand Cherokee during a search on March 5, 2020.
Veilleux's defence lawyer, Mike Nolin, asked if the RCMP firearms lab did a report on the casings. Gullacher said he did not believe he received it before he was transferred elsewhere.
The Crown contends Morrison and Veilleux marched Garrioch, who also used the last name Glasier, into a wooded area, shot him and left his body. Morrison and Veilleux have pleaded guilty to forcibly confining Garrioch's girlfriend.
The trial is scheduled to continue on Monday.