Fredericton constable quits before arbitrator's decision in intimate partner violence case

A Fredericton police constable who assaulted his fiancée has resigned from the force ahead of an arbitrator's decision on whether he could keep his job.

Following hearings last summer and fall, George Filliter was supposed to render a decision in the discreditable conduct case brought against Colin Holmes.

However, Holmes resigned from the force on Dec. 2, effectively putting an end to the arbitration process,  Filliter said in an order he filed on Dec. 20.

"I hereby relinquish my jurisdiction in regard of the matter before me involving Cst. Colin Holmes," Filliter wrote.

Holmes, 26, was a member of the Fredericton Police Force when he was charged and later pleaded guilty to summary assault of his fiancée at her home in Hanwell, just south of Fredericton, on Sep. 24, 2023.

Holmes was spared a criminal conviction after a judge granted him a conditional discharge, which effectively left him with no criminal record so long as he obeyed several conditions imposed at sentencing.

While his criminal case was dealt with, the New Brunswick Police Commission initiated an arbitration process after former police chief Martin Gaudet accused Holmes of discreditable conduct by committing intimate partner violence.

In August and October, Filliter heard testimony from several witnesses, including Holmes's former fiancée, about how he broke into her home and assaulted her.

Filliter was supposed to issue a decision by February on whether Holmes could keep his job with the police force.

Holmes had been suspended from the force without pay until his resignation.

Holmes to leave policing, lawyer says

Since no decision was issued by Filliter, Holmes would be allowed to apply to work with another police force in New Brunswick or elsewhere in Canada, said Jennifer Smith, executive director of the New Brunswick Police Commission, in an email.

However, his lawyer, TJ Burke, said Holmes plans to leave the field of policing.

"He will go on to pursue another career," Burke said. "Whether it's in New Brunswick or someplace else in the country, I'm not sure, but for now, he's decided to … offer his resignation and move on with his life."

Burke said the evidence heard during the arbitration hearing didn't play a big role in Holmes's decision to resign ahead of Filliter's decision.

Rather, Burke said, Holmes had already contemplated quitting before the arbitration process began.

Burke said Holmes's decision was influenced by what he saw as a negative shift in the public's attitude toward police officers, along with concerns about staffing shortages and a heavy workload.

CBC News asked the Fredericton Police Force for an interview with Chief Gary Forward about Holmes's resignation and whether this case has prompted changes with how recruits are vetted.

In an email, spokesperson Sonya Gilks said the force's hiring process is "robust and extremely stringent."

"Our process includes comprehensive background checks, vulnerable persons check, criminal record checks, physical and psychological testing, and an in-depth ethics and integrity interview, which is a crucial part of the hiring process for law enforcement," she said.