‘Harrowing experience’

Gunman’s common-law spouse was subject to victim-blaming in aftermath of murders, commission finds

Mass killer Gabriel Wortman left 22 victims dead in the wake of his April 2020 Nova Scotia rampage.

But the Mass Casualty Commission’s final report laments the RCMP’s treatment of the first casualty of the gunman’s violence: Lisa Banfield, his common-law spouse.

The report knocks the “victim blaming and hyper-responsibilisation” that Banfield suffered in the wake of the killings. And the commission is critical of criminal charges laid against Banfield for providing Wortman with ammunition.

“Ms. Banfield was the victim of decades of violent abuse and coercive control at the hands of the perpetrator. He controlled her finances, her employment, her housing, and even, at times, her movements,” the report notes. “This control culminated in her harrowing experience as the mass casualty’s first victim.”

The killer’s rage began the night of Wortman and Banfield’s 19th anniversary, on April 18, 2020, in Portapique, N.S.

After drinking and initiating a dispute, Wortman physically attacked Banfield, who suffered fractures to her ribs and spine. She tried to flee into the night, but he found her and forced her into a warehouse near the couple’s cottage. Inside, he handcuffed her by one hand and fired a handgun into the ground on both sides of her when she resisted his demands to offer up her other hand.

Later, he forced her into the back of his replica RCMP cruiser, trapping her inside while he loaded his arsenal of guns into the front seat.

Banfield managed to slip her wrist from the handcuffs and escape the vehicle, hiding out in the woods of Portapique until 6:30 a.m. the following day.

In pain and suffering hypothermia, she sought help at a nearby house and contacted 911.

The report noted that a medical exam showed “no visible serious injuries, although she was in a ‘state of terror’ and had a distraught, dishevelled appearance” and was having trouble walking.

However, she fully co-operated with investigators who questioned her in the back of an ambulance, telling them about Wortman and confirming that he was travelling in a fully marked replica RCMP vehicle — information that “prompted members of the command to more seriously consider the possibility that the perpetrator had escaped Portapique.”

She was treated for her injuries during a five-day stay in hospital.

In the months that followed, she was provided with an RCMP liaison officer, just like the other families of Wortman’s victims.

She also give follow-up interviews to investigators and participated in a videotaped re-enactment of the incident in October 2020.

But on Dec. 4, 2020, the RCMP announced criminal charges against Banfield and two other people — Banfield’s brother and her brother-in-law — as part of what was described as an investigation into those who had “knowledge of the gunman’s plan” or “assisted him in any way.”

The Mounties alleged that, in the month leading up to the killing, the individuals transferred cartridges for a .223-calibre Remington and a .40-calibre Smith and Wesson.

“These individuals had no prior knowledge of the gunman’s actions on April 18 and 19,” the RCMP statement said.

The criminal charges ended Banfield’s support from, or any further contact with, the RCMP liaison. In a civil suit against the force, Banfield also argues that she was never informed that she was under investigation or had the right to consult a lawyer.

Federal lawyers argued in the case this year that Banfield was told in police interviews that statements affirming she had provided Wortman with ammunition could be treated as evidence of a crime.

The commission’s report described Banfield’s treatment as “an example of the kind of revictimization that makes it less likely that women survivors of gender-based violence will seek help from police.”

Lawyer Jessica Zita said that Banfield, her client, has been struggling to heal over the past three years, but is hopeful for the future.

Among the recommendations is that police and prosecutors be given more discretion to lay criminal charges in cases of intimate-partner violence; that it be easier and safer for women to report violence; and that all levels of government dramatically increase funding for gender-based violence prevention and interventions.

“Victim blaming is far too common, and deeply harmful,” said Kristina Fifield, a trauma therapist at Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, in a statement issued after the report’s release.

The commissioners also noted that the criminal charges against Banfield prevented her from co-operating or assisting with the inquiry’s work, right up until February 2022, when her charges were referred to Nova Scotia’s Restorative Justice Program.

“Despite technically remaining in jeopardy, Ms. Banfield, once this referral was made, immediately began to co-operate with the Commission,” the report says. “She provided evidence through five lengthy Commission interviews totalling 14 hours and testifying in our public hearings. Her contributions were impactful and fundamental to our process.”