A man serving a life sentence for murdering four people in 1980 has been granted another six-month extension to his day parole.
Steven Leclair was sentenced in 1981 for four first-degree murder charges. He shot and killed two bar staff and a customer in Vancouver before fatally shooting Const. Thomas Agar at the Richmond RCMP detachment.
A second police officer was wounded during the events.
In December 2022, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) granted Leclair day parole for medical reasons.
The PBC has now decided to extend the day parole for a third time, after extending it in June and December 2023.
In the June 24 decision, the PBC noted Leclair had been in the community on day parole for almost a year and "continued to experience a decline in (his) overall health to the point (he) is bed-ridden."
Leclair, now in his late 70s, is "generally immobile" and requires assistance for most of his daily activities. Although psychiatric opinion suggested he was most likely to re-offend in the context of him becoming angry against a caregiver, the PBC found Leclair has not presented any behavioural issues during his release.
The PBC found the nature and gravity of Leclair's offences continue to "remain a significantly aggravating factor" but he has not been involved in a violent incident for more than 40 years, remained sober for a "prolonged period" and participated in programs to address factors that contributed to his violence.
The board found Leclair's stability and emotional management have improved, noting there is a lack of violence in his current relationship.
His lack of mobility is also considered a mitigating factor and the board found no issues with Leclair's current release plan.
Leclair's day parole conditions include no consuming or possessing alcohol, no attending police detachments unless pre-arranged or an emergency and no contacting the victims' families.
He is also forbidden from going to areas in B.C., including Langley, Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby and Victoria.
"Your offending resulted in serious harm and death. The victim continues to fear you and (deserves) to be protected from further contact with you," notes the PBC's decision.
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