N.S. man accused in partner’s death requests single trial to deal with multiple charges

A Nova Scotia man facing a slew of charges, including first-degree murder, in connection with multiple attacks on the same woman said Thursday he wants to be tried by a jury on all charges at once.

Aaron Daniel Crawley is charged in the October 2023 death of his longtime partner, Hollie Marie Boland. Crawley also faces charges of uttering threats and assault in two other incidents involving Boland, 30, last year.

The original plan was to have three separate jury trials, but during an appearance Thursday morning in Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Crawley proposed one large trial — a move that seemed to catch the court and the Crowns off guard.

“I’ve had nine months to think about it,” Crawley told the court. “Why is everyone trying to delay justice?”

Associate Chief Justice Patrick Duncan, who was overseeing the court session as part of his mandate to keep cases on track and on time, warned it would be difficult for a trial judge to instruct a jury on all the charges.

There’s a danger, Duncan warned, that if a jury found Crawley guilty on some of the lesser charges, it could taint their consideration of the murder charge. The trial judge would have to carefully instruct the jury on how they must handle the evidence.

Time needed to consider

Crown prosecutors Emma Woodburn and Eric Taylor said they would need time to consult with their superiors before deciding whether they would agree to one large trial.

Duncan told Crawley’s lawyer, Eugene Tan, that he would need written instructions from the accused confirming he wants to proceed with a single trial.

Crawley is accused of running over Boland with a car outside a home in Cole Harbour. He was free on conditions at the time that were imposed after two earlier incidents in which he faced charges.

Crawley was accused of uttering threats and assaulting Boland with a motor vehicle in May 2023. The following month, he was charged with two counts of assault and choking, suffocating or strangling Boland.

Crawley, a former boxer, has asked for a brain scan before his case proceeds to trial. He’s argued he suffered injury as a result of his career in the ring.

He has already agreed to skip a preliminary inquiry in relation to the murder charge, which is why the matter has already moved to Supreme Court.

It will return there early next month when the lawyers will discuss their next steps.