Christopher Garnier filed an appeal against his murder conviction Thursday less than a month after he was found guilty of the second-degree murder of Catherine Campbell and interfering with her body.
“I desire to present my case and argument in person,” says the document submitted by Garnier.
Garnier, currently an inmate at the Central Nova Scotia Correction Centre, is appealing his conviction on several grounds, according to the document released by court officials.
These include a possible violation of Charter Rights and saying the trial judge erred in law in “holding that the Appellant’s second statement to police was free and voluntary.”
Garnier’s appeal further says that the court erred by refusing to admit the evidence of Dr. Tim Moore in deciding whether or not his statements to police were made voluntarily.
“The Learned Trial Judge’s charge to the jury was so complicated and convoluted that no other juror would be able to understand it,” says the appeal notice. “The verdict of the jury is not reasonably supported by the evidence.”
The document submitted by Garnier also cites “other grounds of appeal” that may be apparent after the evidence is reviewed.
In his appeal, Garnier indicated that he wanted to be tried by a judge and jury if a new trial is ordered.
According to other media, Garnier is launching his appeal without the help of defence lawyer Joel Pink, who represented him during his trial last year.
Garnier was found guilty of both charges by a jury on Dec. 21 after just 4 1/2 hours of deliberations.
The Crown says that Garnier punched and strangled Campbell inside a Halifax apartment in the early hours of Sept. 11, 2015, then used a green bin to dump her body under the Macdonald Bridge.
Police found her remains on Sept. 16, the same day Garnier was arrested.
Before her death, Campbell worked as a police officer in Truro and was also a firefighter in her hometown of Stellarton.
Murder carries a mandatory life sentence. For a second-degree conviction the condemned must serve at least 10 years behind bars before being considered for parole.
A parole eligibility hearing for Garnier is set for May 7.
