Kelly Ellard resumes day parole after suspension, loses expanded privileges
The woman convicted of killing teenager Reena Virk near Victoria in 1997 has been allowed to return to day parole after her parole was suspended this summer.
Kelly Ellard, who now goes by the name Kerry Sim, had her parole suspended in August after domestic abuse was reported between the 39-year-old and her partner, the father of her two children.
At first, Sim denied any violence, but after her parole was suspended she admitted violence had occurred in a post-suspension interview.
"In the post suspension interview on August 16, 2021, you were emotional and denied any violence in your relationship," reads the decision from the Canadian Parole Board, completed on Oct. 28.
"Your parole officer challenged you because of the reliable information that there had been violence on two occasions."
Sim later said the violence, which included "pushing each other," was due to a dispute over how Sim's partner was disciplining their son, she said.
"When asked about any other violent incidents that were not reported, you admitted that the eyebrow laceration that you reported as an accident was in fact a result of your spouse's physical violence towards you," reads the decision.
Sim told the parole board that the injury was a result of being punched several times in the head, "resulting in a cut that required a hospital visit."
She explained that she did not report the incident because she did not want to speak with police, and because she did not want her partner to get in trouble.
During the same post-suspension interview, Sim admitted to drinking wine "approximately two years ago," which is barred under her parole conditions.
However, the parole board says that Sim has taken responsibility for the recent incidents and that it believes she has a "realistic and sustainable plan to address the concerns and maintain (her) stability long term."
Sim has lost her expanded parole privileges and new conditions have been imposed on her parole.
Sim must follow new psychiatric treatment and has to report all new relationships and friendships to her parole supervisor.
Contact with the father of her children will also be limited moving forward, with the parole board saying that Sim cannot see him in-person unless the meeting is supervised, or she has written permission from her supervising parole officer.
Sim was first granted day parole in 2017, and it has been extended seven times since then.
"The board finds your demonstrated stability for the majority of your time in the community is more reflective of the manageability of your risk when compared to the risk associated to the circumstances related to your suspension," reads the decision.
Sim was 15 years old when she was convicted of second-degree murder after she beat Virk with a group of teens, and then later following the injured girl and drowned her in the Gorge waterway along with an accomplice.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.