Garrett Given an 11-year sentence for Destiny Rae Tom’s killing, Steven George

The Parole Board of Canada refused to reconsider its decision to revoke a man’s day parole after he got into an altercation with a roommate at a halfway house. The man was serving a term for the manslaughter death of his common-law spouse.

The 34-year-old Garrett Steven George is receiving an 11-year sentence for the death of Destiny Rae Tom in March 2013.

A member of the parole board withdrew George’s day parole in July 2022 after discovering that he had attacked his roommate when they had touched shoulders. George kicked the opponent down a flight of steps, followed by punches and kicks, one of which appeared to be directed at the victim’s head.

Although George insisted that he was acting in self-defense, the incident was not captured on camera, and no weapon was visible.

In the original judgment, the member stated that “to define yourself as the ‘victim’ in such a set of circumstances suggests that you do not accept responsibility.”

George challenged the decision, arguing that the member relied on hearsay from a parole officer rather than actually viewing the tape.

A two-person panel from the parole board’s appeals section disagreed, stating that their analysis of the video demonstrated that what happened was consistent with the original stated reasons in a judgment released on February 6.

The appeals division panel concluded that, given George’s prior history of unsuccessful releases, the initial decision to terminate his day parole was fair.

When his halfway house withdrew support in April 2021 due to concerns about a “threatening appearance” to a female staff member and staff members’ difficulty dealing with him when he disagreed with a “rule or felt entitled to an exception,” his day parole was suspended.

After telling his parole officer that he had gotten into an argument with his girlfriend that had turned physical when he seized her phone, George was taken back into custody in November 2021. The girlfriend opted against filing a complaint.

According to George’s case management team, the event “demonstrated very reactive and violent behavior” on his behalf, and they recommended that his day parole be withdrawn.

But in January 2022, the two-member panel agreed to grant George another day parole release.

George was given an 11-year term in November 2016 for Tom’s death on the Nadleh reserve, which is located around 140 kilometers west of Prince George. He had less time served prior to sentencing; at the time, he still had eight years and four months to go in his sentence.