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Testimony wraps up in Calgary triple-murder case; jury to deliberate next week

Feb 9, 2017 | 2:15 AM

CALGARY — A judge offered sympathy and advice Thursday to jurors who have sat through a month of disturbing evidence about the gruesome deaths of a couple and their grandson.

Justice David Gates addressed the jury after testimony for the Crown wrapped up and lawyers for Douglas Garland elected to call no witnesses.

Garland, 57, is being tried on three charges of first-degree murder in the disappearance of Alvin and Kathy Liknes and five-year-old Nathan O’Brien.

Gates told jurors he understood they have endured “great, personal distress” in the last four weeks.

“Symptoms of stress may appear as any number of physical and psychological reactions, including increased anxiety and frustration, disruption to sleep and eating routines, depression, withdrawal, anger and even hostility,” the judge said.

“They are part of the natural healing process of adjusting to a powerful event, making sense out of what happened and putting it into perspective.”

Gates urged jurors to stay away from drugs and alcohol, to eat and sleep well before they are sequestered next week and to “pursue those activities that bring you joy.”

Closing arguments are to be presented Monday and Gates plans to charge the jury on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, The jury was shown video from a late-night game of cat and mouse which led to Garland’s arrest. The video, taken from a police helicopter, was recorded early in the morning on July 14, 2014, and documented how Garland was taken into custody at his farm north of Calgary. 

Court heard the helicopter used an infrared camera and a strong searchlight to track Garland, who had snuck back onto his property.

He had been arrested earlier that month on an unrelated charge and then released. He was under surveillance and his truck had already been seized.

The video showed Garland’s attempts to evade police by hiding in trees and crawling on his stomach through deep grass.

“What we were really trying to do was hold him to an area so that we were able to get him into custody,” explained Const. Lance Trim, a tactical officer on the helicopter.  

“The target was moving and trying to hide under some brush and therefore affording us the opportunity and time to get our resources into place to take someone into custody.”

Const. Jamie Parhar was one of two uniformed officers pursuing Garland through deep grass, shrubbery and trees on the rural property. She became separated from her partner during the chase and said there was virtually no visibility and the terrain was treacherous.

“It was awful. I wouldn’t even be able to break out into a sprint without breaking an ankle. Very uneven and, due to the level of lighting, I couldn’t tell what we were walking or running toward.”

Even with the assistance of a police chopper flooding the area with light she couldn’t see the suspect.

“It was a very thick wall of trees and shrubbery. I couldn’t see anything,” said Parhar.

“I had a radio in one hand and my gun in the other hand.”

Parhar’s partner and two officers from a surveillance unit eventually arrived and Garland gave himself up.

She said Garland was “very calm, very collected” as she handcuffed him and that he followed commands.

Crown prosecutor Vicki Faulkner asked her about Garland’s facial expression immediately following his arrest.

“Almost like that thousand-yard stare. Very expressionless.”

The Crown believes the grandparents and the boy were attacked in the couple’s Calgary home and then taken to Garland’s farm where they were killed and disposed of.

Prosecutors argued Garland was motivated by a long-standing grudge against Alvin Liknes over a patent for oilfield equipment.

— Follow @BillGraveland on Twitter

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press