High-risk sex offender’s Halifax bail hearing postponed until Feb. 14

A high-risk sex offender who was arrested in Halifax on Jan. 15 after allegedly attacking three women was not ready to seek bail Friday.

Gamon Jay Leacock, 49, appeared in Halifax provincial court via a video link from the Northeast Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Pictou County.

Defence lawyer Eugene Tan advised the court he was retained by Leacock this week.

At Tan’s request, Judge Alonzo Wright adjourned Leacock’s bail hearing until Feb. 14. Leacock will appear in court in person that day.

The judge reminded Leacock that he’s subject to a court order prohibiting contact with the three complainants.

The identities of the three women are protected by a publication ban.

Police responded Jan. 15 at about 3:05 p.m. to a robbery in the area of Hunter and Cunard streets in Halifax.

A Halifax Regional Police news release said a man approached a woman who was parked on South Street and offered her money to drive him to Cunard Street. When they arrived, the man threatened the woman and said he had a firearm. When she tried to get out of the car, he assaulted her and took her belongings.

A short time later, a suspect matching the man’s description entered a home on Clifton Street where two women were inside.

The intruder, who was armed with a brick and a broken bottle, locked the women in a bedroom. He threatened, assaulted and sexually assaulted them before they fought him off and escaped.

The man then fled the home. All three women were taken to hospital for treatment.

Leacock was arrested at about 3:30 p.m. in a backyard on Hunter Street. He was taken to hospital for treatment of a medical condition and allegedly attempted to flee, but officers apprehended him right away.

He faces two counts each of aggravated sexual assault, unlawful confinement, uttering threats and breaching a release order and single counts of robbery, assault, break and enter to commit an offence, escaping custody and possession of stolen property under $5,000. 

Public advisory

Last October, police notified the public that Leacock was living in the Halifax area after being released from prison. He had served all 14 years of a sentence he received in 2009 for nine counts of robbery, six of uttering threats, two each of sexual assault with a weapon, forcible confinement, administering a noxious substance and assault, and single counts of criminal harassment, escape from lawful custody, assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, intimidation of a justice system participant, theft under $5,000, failing to comply with a court order and failing to stop at a motor vehicle accident.

He was arrested Jan. 4 after someone reported that Leacock had broken into a woman’s home on several occasions between October and December and threatened her to obtain property and money.

Leacock was charged with extortion, fraud under $5,000, uttering threats, four counts of use and possession of stolen credit cards, unlawfully being in a dwelling house, theft under $5,000 and two counts of failing to comply with release conditions.

The Crown stayed those charges Jan. 9 after Leacock signed a one-year peace bond ordering him to have no contact with the alleged victim.

Leacock also faces two charges of breaching an order under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and two applications for peace bonds out of fear he may commit another serious offence. Those matters were initially in court in November.