Members of the public are being asked to empty their pockets and step through a metal detector to attend a preliminary hearing into the murder of Joseph Gauthier at the Victoria courthouse.
Gauthier, a 35-year-old football-loving father, was killed one year ago, on March 10, 2018, outside a house on Hillside Avenue. The father of four was found dead by police responding to a call about a disturbance in the 1400-block of Hillside Avenue in Victoria’s Oaklands area.
Daniel Forrest Creagh was arrested in Maple Ridge in July. Investigators with the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit made the arrest with the assistance of Ridge Meadows RCMP. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.
A three-day preliminary hearing began Monday morning in provincial court under the watchful eye of B.C. sheriffs.
Creagh, a big man with a buzz cut, sat impassively in the prisoner’s dock as prosecutor Jeni Gillings outlined the case to Judge Robert Higinbotham.
Evidence at the inquiry cannot be reported because of a court-ordered publication ban.
Members of the public were also warned that the publication ban includes any information posted on social media such as Facebook or Instagram.
About 20 family members and friends of Gauthier are present for the hearing. At one point, Gauthier’s mother, Darlene Hogue, left the court in tears.
A preliminary hearing is a proceeding to determine whether there is enough evidence to require a trial. This hearing is expected to wind up Wednesday.
