A Nova Scotia man who spent 16 years in prison for killing his girlfriend said he has proved his innocence.
The case against Glen Assoun was dismissed in a Halifax court on Friday, following a decision by the federal justice minister ordering a new trial.
“I’m grateful for the outcome,” said Assoun. “I finally proved my innocence in a court of law.”
Prosecutor Mark Scott said in Nova Scotia Supreme Court that the Crown has reassessed the case and doesn’t believe there is a realistic prospect of conviction, so they are not pursuing a new trial.
Assoun was convicted of second-degree murder in the 1995 death of Brenda LeAnne Way.
The conviction came with an automatic life sentence. At his first trial, Justice Suzanne Hood ordered that Assoun must serve 18½ years before he could begin applying for parole.
Assoun always maintained his innocence.
The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal rejected Assoun’s appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear his case. That’s when Assoun turned to the Society in Defence of the Wrongfully Convicted, now known as Innocence Canada.
The team of Toronto-based lawyers agreed to take on Assoun’s case and started lobbying the federal justice minister to take another look.
Lengthy fight
The whole process has been long and complicated.
Brenda Way was found stabbed to death in Dartmouth, N.S., in 1995.
Way’s body was discovered on Albro Lake Road in Dartmouth on Nov. 12, 1995. She had been stabbed multiple times and her throat was cut.
Assoun’s trial started in the spring of 1999 and concluded the following September after he fired his lawyer, opting to represent himself.
His appeal was heard in January 2006. When Innocence Canada started lobbying, the Conservatives were in power in Ottawa and Peter MacKay was the federal justice minister.
In November 2014, Assoun was granted bail while federal bureaucrats reviewed his case. He had been in prison for 16 years at that point.
At that time, Assoun was ordered to live in British Columbia. But his bail was modified in 2017 to allow him to return to Nova Scotia, as long as he stayed away from certain places and people who might be involved in a new trial, should one be ordered.
“You kept the faith with your remarkable dignity,” said Justice James Chipman. “You are to be commended for your courage and resilience. You are a free man. I sincerely wish you every success.”
CBC’s Blair Rhodes livetweeted from court. To read on mobile, click here.
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