Simon Grant was killed at his Louisiana’s Bar-B-Que Restaurant in April 2017 during an armed robbery. (Submitted photo/Cora Laich)

By Derek Cornet

pending release

Laich concerned about upcoming release of husband’s killer

Nov 26, 2021 | 5:30 PM

The upcoming statutory release of a man convicted in the murder of Simon Grant is being described as a blow to the victim’s family.

“First to get the sentence reduced and then find out we were not going to be able to take it to the Supreme Court of Canada, and then the news in December he’s going to get released, it really was a blow to my family,” Grant’s widow Cora Laich said. “It’s just been a lot of reliving everything again and a bit fear. I think we are going to have eyes in the back of our heads for a little bit.”

The man, who was 17 at the time of the murder but was charged as an adult, was one of three people found guilty of manslaughter in Grant’s death. Austin Bird, who was 18, received a seven-year prison sentence and a 14-year-old was given a three-year youth sentence.

Grant was killed at his Louisiana’s Bar-B-Que Restaurant in La Ronge in April 2017 during an armed robbery.

Back in July, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal reduced the to be released man’s sentence from nine years to seven. Statutory release is granted after an offender serves two-third of their sentence.

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“We’re talking with victim services about getting surveillance, an alarm system and also just the local RCMP detachments are aware of his release,” Laich said.

She also requested the Parole Board of Canada to attach a number of conditions to the man’s release including no contacting Laich or her family, no going to their workplace or any place they may be, no consumption of drugs or alcohol, as well as periodic drug testing, ankle monitoring and to be informed of the address of where he is going to be staying. Laich was told he could be sent to a halfway house.

If the man is settled in the tri-communities, Laich requested they be informed as they sometimes visit the area.

“Myself, Candice and Arnold are in a really good place right now and Candice is going to be graduating,” she said. “We are going grad dress shopping in the middle of December and it has kind of been a shock and just not good timing for us in our life, but I guess there is never good timing for an offender to be released. I’m hoping we can remain positive and we won’t have any issues with dealing with him when he is released.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @saskjourno