N.S. man charged with 1st-degree murder in woman's death seeks bail

A Nova Scotia man accused of killing his longtime partner in 2023 is looking to get out of jail while he awaits trial on a charge of first-degree murder.

The Crown is opposed to the idea of releasing Aaron Daniel Crawley and wants an earlier release order he was granted on other charges rescinded.

Crawley appeared in Nova Scotia Supreme Court on Thursday to discuss next moves in his case, which has been dragging on for years.

He is accused of killing Hollie Marie Boland in October 2023. He allegedly struck the 30-year-old woman with a car outside a home in Cole Harbour, N.S., where he was living at the time.

The bail issue will be argued at a hearing set for June 30. Crawley previously agreed to waive his right to a preliminary inquiry on the murder charge, sending it straight to a judge and jury trial.

Other charges

Crawley is also charged in relation to two other incidents involving Boland. In May 2023, nearly six months before her murder, Crawley was charged with assaulting Boland and making threats against her.

He'd been released on conditions from the May incidents and was under court order to have no contact with Boland when she was killed. Those charges will be dealt with in separate trials. The first, on the assault charge, is scheduled for January 2026.

In his first court appearances immediately following Boland's death, Crawley indicated a desire to conclude matters quickly.

Instead, the process has been bogged down by Crawley's search for representation. He has gone through three lawyers, and on Thursday told Justice Jamie Campbell he hasn't found one he can trust, so he is now representing himself.

Crawley attempted to talk over both Campbell and the Crown on Thursday, accusing them of showing him "contempt" during the court process.