R. v. Govenlock (G.W.), 2015 ABCA 122

• Judge: Wakeling, J.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (Alberta)
• Case Date: March 24, 2015
• Citations: 2015 ABCA 122;(2015), 599 A.R. 316

R. v. Govenlock (G.W.) (2015), 599 A.R. 316; 643 W.A.C. 316 (CA)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2015] A.R. TBEd. AP.021

Her Majesty the Queen (respondent) v. Gordon Walter Govenlock (applicant)

(1503-0004-A; 2015 ABCA 122)

Indexed As: R. v. Govenlock (G.W.)

Alberta Court of Appeal

Wakeling, J.A.

April 2, 2015.

Summary:

The accused broke into a neighbour's house while the two occupants slept. He went to the bedroom, threw gasoline on them and was about to light them on fire when they awoke and confronted him. The accused was convicted of breaking and entering a dwelling house with intent to commit arson, possession of an incendiary material (gasoline) for the purpose of committing arson, attempted arson of an inhabited property and throwing an explosive substance on persons with intent to do bodily harm. The trial judge sentenced the accused to 22 months' imprisonment, less 95 days' credit for pre-trial custody. The accused appealed his convictions and applied under s. 679(3) of the Criminal Code for bail pending appeal.

The Alberta Court of Appeal, per Wakeling, J.A., denied bail. The court was not satisfied that the accused would surrender himself into custody if his appeal was dismissed and bail pending appeal was contrary to the public interest.

Criminal Law - Topic 3310

Compelling appearance, detention and release - Interim release or detention of accused pending trial or appeal - Release pending appeal - The 44 year old accused broke into a neighbour's house while the two occupants slept - He went to the bedroom, threw gasoline on them and was about to light them on fire when they awoke and confronted him - The accused was convicted of breaking and entering a dwelling house with intent to commit arson, possession of an incendiary material (gasoline) for the purpose of committing arson, attempted arson of an inhabited property and throwing an explosive substance on persons with intent to do bodily harm - The trial judge sentenced the accused to 22 months' imprisonment, less 95 days' credit for pre-trial custody - The accused appealed his convictions and applied under s. 679(3) of the Criminal Code for bail pending appeal - He had prior convictions for arson, assault with a weapon and sexual interference - While on bail awaiting sentencing, the accused allegedly twice breached his bail conditions, resulting in new charges for assault, uttering threats and breach of bail conditions - The Alberta Court of Appeal, per Wakeling, J.A., denied bail - The court was not satisfied that the accused would surrender himself into custody if his appeal was dismissed and bail pending appeal was contrary to the public interest - There was a sufficiently high likelihood of re-offending if released to deny bail and the grounds of appeal were not sufficiently meritorious to find that the appeal was likely to succeed.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Jensen (C.K.) (2014), 588 A.R. 234; 626 W.A.C. 234; 2014 ABCA 435, refd to. [para. 11, footnote 3].

R. v. Whiskeyjack (1984), 58 A.R. 81; 17 C.C.C.(3d) 245 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 17, footnote 8].

R. v. Magee (1923), 40 C.C.C. 10 (Sask. C.A.), refd to. [para. 17, footnote 8].

R. v. Karas (L.F.) (2007), 412 A.R. 84; 404 W.A.C. 84 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 25, footnote 10].

R. v. Ponak, [1972] 4 W.W.R. 316 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 25, footnote 10].

R. v. Burke (J.) (No. 3), [1996] 1 S.C.R. 474; 194 N.R. 247; 139 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 147; 433 A.P.R. 147, refd to. [para. 28, footnote 13].

R. v. V.B.S., [2014] A.R. Uned. 40; 2014 ABCA 53, refd to. [para. 29, footnote 14].

R. v. Passey (D.M.) (1997), 209 A.R. 191; 160 W.A.C. 191; 121 C.C.C.(3d) 444 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29, footnote 15].

United States of America v. Montoya (1990), 908 F.2d 450 (9th Cir.), refd to. [para. 29, footnote 15].

R. v. C.A.G., [2015] A.R. Uned. 49; 2015 ABCA 113, refd to. [para. 30, footnote 16].

R. v. Hunter (J.S.), [2015] A.R. Uned. 30; 2015 ABCA 81, refd to. [para. 30, footnote 16].

R. v. Drouin, [1994] S.J. No. 350 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 30, footnote 16].

R. v. Manasseri (C.) (2013), 313 O.A.C. 55; 312 C.C.C.(3d) 132 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 30, footnote 16].

R. v. Rhyason (B.P.) (2006), 384 A.R. 146; 367 W.A.C. 146 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 30, footnote 16].

Can v. Calgary Chief of Police et al. (2014), 584 A.R. 147; 623 W.A.C. 147; 315 C.C.C.(3d) 337 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 31, footnote 17].

R. v. Hanna (K.D.) (1991), 3 B.C.A.C. 57; 7 W.A.C. 57 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 31, footnote 17].

R. v. McNaughton (S.D.) (2010), 487 A.R. 130; 495 W.A.C. 130 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 31, footnote 18].

R. v. MacMullin (A.D.) et al. (2015), 599 A.R. 178; 643 W.A.C. 178; 2015 ABCA 82, refd to. [para. 31, footnote 19].

United States of America v. Fatico (1978), 458 F. Supp. 388 (E.D.N.Y.), refd to. [para. 33, footnote 23].

R. v. Awer, [2014] A.R. Uned. 469; 2015 ABCA 12, refd to. [para. 34, footnote 24].

R. v. Farinacci (L.W.) et al. (1993), 67 O.A.C. 197; 86 C.C.C.(3d) 32 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 34, footnote 24].

R. v. Taschuk (1992), 11 B.C.A.C. 241; 22 W.A.C. 241 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 41, footnote 29].

R. v. Lohrer (A.W.) (2003), 186 B.C.A.C. 58; 306 W.A.C. 58; 173 C.C.C.(3d) 317 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 44, footnote 30].

R. v. Morgan (D.D.), [2013] A.R. Uned. 724; 2013 ABCA 447, refd to. [para. 48, footnote 32].

R. v. J.R.P., [2014] A.R. Uned. 180; 2014 ABCA 251, refd to. [para. 49, footnote 33].

R. v. Mapara (S.) (2001), 156 B.C.A.C. 138; 255 W.A.C. 138; 158 C.C.C.(3d) 312 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 49, footnote 33].

R. v. K.D.L., [2014] A.R. Uned. 179; 2014 ABCA 248, refd to. [para. 51, footnote 35].

R. v. O'Grady (G.L.) (1997), 93 B.C.A.C. 254; 151 W.A.C. 254; 117 C.C.C.(3d) 136 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 51, footnote 35].

R. v. Alcantara (J.R.) et al. (2014), 577 A.R. 381; 613 W.A.C. 381; 2014 ABCA 255, refd to. [para. 52, footnote 38].

R. v. Knapczyk (A.P.) - see R. v. Alcantara (J.R.) et al.

R. v. Lenny (R.D.) et al. (1995), 178 A.R. 142; 110 W.A.C. 142 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 52, footnote 38].

R. v. Nguyen (Y.V.) (1997), 97 B.C.A.C. 86; 157 W.A.C. 86; 119 C.C.C.(3d) 269 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 52, footnote 38].

R. v. Pabani (1991), 10 C.R.(4th) 381 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 52, footnote 38].

R. v. Beechin (1959), 125 C.C.C. 360 (N.B.C.A.), refd to. [para. 52, footnote 38].

United States of America v. Powell (1985), 761 F.2d 1227 (8th Cir.), refd to. [para. 52, footnote 38].

United States of America v. Bilanzich (1985), 771 F.2d 292 (7th Cir.), refd to. [para. 58, footnote 38].

United States of America v. Seifer, 2014 U.S. Dist. Lexis 154117 (E.D. Wis.), refd to. [para. 53, footnote 39].

R. v. Latimer (R.W.) (1994), 128 Sask.R. 63; 85 W.A.C. 63 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 55, footnote 43].

Authors and Works Noticed:

McCauliff, C.M.A., Burdens of Proof: Degrees of Belief, Quanta of Evidence, or Constitutional Guarantees? (1982), 35 Vand. L. Rev. 1293, p. 1325 [para. 33, footnote 23].

Salhany, Roger E., Canadian Criminal Procedure (6th Ed. 1994) (2014 Looseleaf Update, Release 43), para. 4.978 [para. 30, footnote 16].

Williams, Glanville, Language and the Law - II (1945), 61 Law Q. Rev. 179, p. 183 [para. 32, footote 21].

Williams, Glanville, Language and the Law - III (1945), 61 Law Q. Rev. 293, p. 300 [para. 33, footnote 22].

Counsel:

D.J. Anderson, for the applicant;

J.B. Dartana, for the respondent.

This application was heard on March 24, 2015, at Edmonton, Alberta, before Wakeling, J.A., of the Alberta Court of Appeal, who delivered the following judgment on April 2, 2015.