‘Hey judge, stay Black’
High-risk offender Leacock denied bail on Halifax charges
Gamon Jay Leacock, a highrisk offender who allegedly attacked three women in Halifax on the afternoon of Jan. 15, has been denied bail.
Judge Alonzo Wright presided at Leacock’s bail hearing, which started Feb. 14 in Halifax provincial court and continued Feb. 23 and Feb. 29.
The judge gave a one-hour decision Wednesday denying Leacock bail.
There’s a publication ban on details of the hearing, including the evidence that was presented, the submissions made by lawyers and the reasons for Wright’s decision.
Leacock became agitated as the decision went on and it became obvious that he was not going to be released, hanging his head and rubbing his eyebrows.
Before he was escorted out of court, he raised his right fist and said, “Hey judge, stay Black.”
Leacock and the judge are both Black.
The accused then directed his anger at Crown attorney Ben Hoskins, who had vigorously opposed his release.
"And you, I’ll see you in court with the best lawyer that money can f-----g buy," he told Hoskins.
Halifax Regional Police issued a high-risk offender notification about Leacock in October. The advisory said he was living in the Halifax area after serving a prison sentence for 30 offences, including nine counts of robbery and two of sexual assault with a weapon.
On Jan. 15, police responded at about 3:05 p.m. to a report of a robbery on Cunard Street in Halifax.
A police news release said a man approached a woman in her car on South Street and offered her money to drive him to Cunard Street. When they arrived, the man threatened and assaulted the woman and stole her belongings before fleeing on foot.
A man matching the robbery suspect’s description entered a home on nearby Clifton Street a few minutes later and sexually assaulted two women in a bedroom.
Leacock, 49, was arrested at about 3:30 p.m. in a backyard on Hunter Street. He was taken to hospital for treatment, where he allegedly attempted to flee but was apprehended right away.
He faces two counts each of aggravated sexual assault, unlawful confinement, uttering threats and breaching a release order and single charges of robbery, assault, break and enter to commit an offence, escaping custody and possession of stolen property under $5,000.
The Crown also applied to revoke Leacock’s release on two charges of breaching an order under the Sex Offender Information Registra
tion Act. Police allege those offences were committed in October.
While in custody, Leacock has been ordered to have no contact with the three complainants, whose identities are protected by a publication ban.
Defence lawyer Eugene Tan was retained by Leacock for the bail hearing but told the court Wednesday he does not know if he will continue to represent him.
The case will return to court April 2.