Victoria defence lawyer Michael Mulligan said releasing the accused on bail keeps with current bail rules in Canada.
“Bail isn’t a form of instant punishment, nor will it ever be, because we have a constitutional right to be presumed innocent and to not be denied reasonable bail without just cause. So that the fact that the original charges were serious ones, doesn’t necessarily equate to holding the person in custody prior to having a trial,” said Mulligan.
Marcel Alvin Fontaine is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Feb. 10 in Nanaimo.
Re: 'He's back again': Man arrested in Nanaimo, B.C. standoff returns to crime scene