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Premier David Eby says he has the same questions as everyone else, namely why the public is barred from knowing the reasons for the bail decision made mere days before the Surrey home invasion murder
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The B.C. Prosecution Service is going to court in an effort to get a publication ban lifted on the bail hearing that led to the release of Adam Mann, mere days before he allegedly stabbed Surrey woman Tori Dunn to death in her Port Kells home.
Premier David Eby told reporters at a news conference in Coquitlam on Wednesday that he met with Dunn’s sister and cousin after the family raised concerns about being kept in the dark as to why Mann was granted bail, despite being charged with stabbing a woman in Surrey on May 26.
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In the days leading up to Dunn’s killing, Mann also faced court hearings stemming from a January robbery in Vancouver, for which he was charged with possession of a deadly weapon and obstructing a peace officer.
Eby told reporters he has the same questions as everyone else, namely why the public is barred from knowing the reasons for the bail decision.
“We were advised that the best we could potentially offer the Dunn family was to attend and listen to a recording of what happened in the courtroom,” said Eby, who expressed his belief that the offer “makes no sense” given Dunn’s relatives live all across Canada.
“i’ve talked to the attorney general’s team and the prosecution service will be going to court to get clarification from the court about ensuring that the publication ban does not apply to that bail hearing, so that we can all know what happened in that courtroom.”
Mann, who is originally from Ontario, was arrested by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team on the day of Dunn’s murder and was charged with second-degree murder on June 28. He is due to appear in Surrey provincial court on Aug. 19, according to court records.
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Eby warned that the persistent stories of repeat and violent offenders being released on bail only to immediately commit another crime is causing the public to lose confidence in the justice system.
The premier said this is why the Council of the Federation called for Ottawa to pass tighter restrictions on bail through Bill C-48, but acknowledged that the changes have not had the impact so far that he would have hoped.
“We’re pushing Ottawa hard to be more aggressive in this area,” said Eby. “Judges are applying rules from the federal government that are consistently preventing the detention of repeat violent offenders in our jails.”
![David Eby](https://i0.wp.com/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/vancouversun/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Robinson-Eby-BC-20240205.jpg?resize=1000%2C750&ssl=1)
On Monday, Canada’s premiers sent a joint letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seeking a federal review of the legislation’s implementation, voicing their concern that in the case of Dunn’s murder “Bill C-48 failed to keep a violent offender from posing a serious risk to public safety.”
Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani said on Wednesday that while Dunn’s “death is a tragedy,” the federal government had “listened to the provinces and territories when they asked for changes to the Criminal Code” and now it is up to the provinces and territories to enforce it.
“Provinces are responsible for the administration of bail, and more needs to be done to make sure police and prosecutors have the tools they need for effective monitoring and enforcement,” he said in a statement responding to the premiers’ letter.
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Aron Dunn, Tori’s father, said he has not been given a reason for the publication ban on Mann’s bail hearing, but believes it is an effort by the legal system to shield itself from embarrassment.
Dunn said the offer to go to B.C. to listen to an audio recording of the hearing was not feasible as he lives in Saskatchewan. He said all requests for a transcript or other information about what happened in the courtroom have been denied, but is thankful the premier has taken up his fight.
“I can get records of his criminal history up to 1999, but I want to know what happened from 2024,” he said.
“I don’t care how long it takes. I just want to know what happened, whether the judge just gave a blind eye to this or the prosecution didn’t do their job.”
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