Parole conditions changed for former Halifax fugitive

Steven Douglas Skinner, who shot and killed a man in Halifax and then spent five years on the run in South America, is being allowed to visit with his girlfriend overnight.

Skinner was released on day parole late last year, after serving two years of a six-year sentence for manslaughter. His conditions of day parole required him to return to a halfway house every night.

In one of two decisions released earlier this month, the Parole Board has decided to extend Skinner's day parole for another three months.

The second decision allows him to spend some nights at his girlfriend's home, with prior approval from his parole supervisor. The three-month extension and the overnight visits are under the same conditions that applied in the first six months, including that he abstain from drugs and alcohol and avoid known criminals.

Skinner killed Stacey Adams in July 2011 after an argument with the man. An accomplice then helped him flee to Moncton, N.B., disposing of the gun and other items as they fled.

From Moncton, Skinner boarded a flight west, before making his way to South America. He was arrested in Venezuela in 2016 and was returned to Canada.

He was charged with second-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter.