The Parole Board of Canada has given a Nadleh man serving a sentence for the manslaughter death of his common-law spouse a second chance after he got into a fight with a girlfriend while released on parole.
Garret Steven George, 33, is serving an 11-year term for the March 2013 death of Destiny Rae Tom.
He was granted limited day parole in July 2019, upgraded to day parole in June 2020. It was continued in December 2020 where the board found he was using day parole as intended and was showing improved behaviour and attitudes.
But, according to a parole board panel decision, in April 2021, day parole was suspended when his community residential facility withdrew support over concern about a "threatening presentation" to a female staff member and staff's discomfort about dealing with him when he disagreed with a "rule or or felt entitled to an exception."
He had also been fully employed but began missing work to pursue a relationship, the panel also noted.
Parole was renewed when he was transferred to another community residential facility although George was cautioned in August 2021 over a concern he was communicating with incarcerated offenders.
In November 2021, George was brought back into custody after he reported to his parole officer that he got into a disagreement with his girlfriend that had turned physical when he grabbed her phone from her. The girlfriend decided not to pursue charges.
George's case management team recommended his day parole be revoked, saying the incident "demonstrated highly reactive and aggressive behaviour," on his part.
However, the two-member panel decided to allow George to be released once more on day parole.
In doing so, they turned their minds to some "positive aspects" of his case and noted he had been on day parole for close to 18 months before this suspension and other than some conflicts with staff and his parole supervisor, there were no other indications of high-risk behaviours.
George also took some responsibility for the incident and has ended the relationship. He is also open to further programming and counselling, the panel noted. When space permits, George was to be released to an Indigenous healing lodge.
The release comes with two new conditions: that he stay away from his ex-girlfriend and that he not enter any new relationship without prior authorization of his parole supervisor, a step up from merely reporting new relationships.
In November 2016, George was sentenced to 11 years for Tom's death. Less time served prior to sentencing, he had a further eight years and four months remaining in the term at the time.
The panel's decision was issued in January and made public this week.
