In a tragic incident from Halifax, a woman was reportedly run over and fatally injured by a vehicle operated by her estranged partner. The grieving family pronounced that the criminal justice system had let her down.
The incident occurred on a serene Monday afternoon within the confines of Cole Harbour, with the drama unfolding on an otherwise calm street in full view of an intervention from a public-spirited passerby. She had attempted to intervene when she spied a woman detained within a vehicle. Despite managing to extricate the woman, the driver showed no mercy and crashed into the victim before fleeing the scene.
The thirty-year-old victim, Hollie Boland, subsequently succumbed to her injuries in hospital. Her long-term common-law partner, Aaron Daniel Crawley, was apprehended shortly after an emergency alert was broadcast, and was promptly charged with first-degree murder.
Upon investigating court documents, it has been discovered that 33-year-old Crawley had previously been incriminated due to alleged assaults on Boland – taking place twice within this year. The first charge, from May, cited assault with a motor vehicle. The second, from June, alleged the use of choking or suffocation.
Despite opposition from the crown to the granting of bail, Crawley was released on stringent conditions. Senior Crown Attorney Eric Taylor voiced his concern that Crawley posed too great a risk for release but was nonetheless freed. He further commented on the lack of a risk assessment on Crawley after the earlier incidents.
Boland’s family, mourning the loss of a woman they describe as beautiful, a wonderful mother, a devoted friend, and highly attentive to her three children, aged 13, 12, and four; are in a state of disbelief. They believe the failings of the system resulted in the tragic loss.
Under home confinement on bail, Crawley was forbidden from contacting Boland. The prosecution alleges that this stipulation was not adhered to. The family called the system out, believing that if due diligence had been served, Boland might still be alive.
On Wednesday, Crawley made his first court appearance virtually for the recent murder charge. A revocation of his previous bail was requested by the crown. The court will reconvene on Nov. 29 to settle the matter and arrange a date for a preliminary hearing. Crawley, conversing via video link, expressed his willingness to cooperate with the proceedings when advised to cease speaking by his legal counsel.
