A request by one of the Surrey Six murderers to halt his convictions has been turned down by a B.C. Supreme Court judge. Justice Martha Devlin dismissed Cody Haevischer’s claims of police and corrections officials’ misconduct as insufficient grounds for staying his case, resulting in six murder convictions and one conspiracy conviction being officially recorded against him, thus mandating a life sentence.
Haevischer, convicted in the Surrey Six killings in 2014, sought to halt proceedings alleging police misbehavior and mistreatment during his incarceration as reasons for an abuse of process. Despite his plea for a stay or reduced sentence, Justice Devlin only found a breach of his Charter rights concerning his time in solitary confinement, rejecting most of his other claims.
After thoroughly examining Haevischer’s claims, Devlin stated that most lacked merit, and those that did not still did not meet the standard required for a case to be stayed. This marks the latest development in the legal saga stemming from the 2007 Surrey Six murders.
Following the arrests of Haevischer and accomplice Matthew Johnston in 2009, the legal process faced various challenges. Despite being found guilty in 2014, their bid for a stay was initially dismissed, leading to a series of appeals and a lengthy legal battle.
Devlin’s ruling was met with emotions from victims’ families present in the courtroom, with Eileen Mohan, mother of one of the innocent victims, expressing relief at the decision. Devlin highlighted the heinous nature of the Surrey Six murders, emphasizing the calculated and deliberate actions of the perpetrators.
Key considerations for Devlin included whether Haevischer’s complaints constituted an abuse of process affecting his right to a fair trial and whether they warranted a drastic remedy like a stay of proceedings or a reduced sentence. The allegations mainly centered on police impropriety and Haevischer’s treatment while in custody.
While acknowledging the breach of Haevischer’s rights during solitary confinement, Devlin dismissed claims of coordinated mistreatment by correctional staff, attributing concerns to the nature of handling high-profile inmates in a volatile prison environment.
Devlin also questioned Haevischer’s attributions of anxiety solely to his incarceration, pointing out other external stressors he faced. The ruling concluded with the formal entry of convictions against Haevischer and additional sentencing for contempt of court due to his refusal to testify during the proceedings.
