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Day parole revoked for convicted killer Brian Doyle

Doyle, seen in this photo from 2002, was convicted of a lesser charge of second-degree murder in the death of Catherine Carroll, 45. (CBC - image credit)
Doyle, seen in this photo from 2002, was convicted of a lesser charge of second-degree murder in the death of Catherine Carroll, 45. (CBC - image credit)
Doyle, seen in this photo from 2002, was convicted of a lesser charge of second-degree murder in the death of Catherine Carroll, 45.
Doyle, seen in this photo from 2002, was convicted of a lesser charge of second-degree murder in the death of Catherine Carroll, 45.(CBC)

A St. John's man who was wrongfully convicted of his mother's murder more than 30 years ago hoped new allegations would revoke parole for her actual killer.

Greg Parsons read a 30-page victim impact statement at Brian Doyle's parole hearing Friday, revealing new information about his mother's murder.

Doyle was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 18 years without parole in 2002, and served the most recent portion of it in a minimum-security facility outside Victoria.

He was granted parole last April, allowing him into the wider community for the past year on the condition that he return to a halfway house each night and attend mental health counselling. He was also required to stay out of Newfoundland and Labrador.

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On Friday parole board members revoked Doyle's day parole as concerns were raised after Doyle failed to report he was in a relationship with a woman. Immediately reporting a sexual or non-sexual relationship was part of Doyle's release conditions. It took him six weeks to disclose his relationship to his parole officer.

Doyle told parole board members he didn't report his relationship at first because he "did not realize when a relationship becomes a relationship." His parole officer called the breach serious, but added Doyle promised to complete more programs if his parole continued and believes he can still be monitored on a daily basis in public.

The parole board also questioned Doyle's honesty and transparency throughout Friday's hearing.

The deliberation focused on Doyle's progress, the positives in his case and risks to the public in the last six months.

"You have work to do, but there is a willingness to do it," Doyle was told, but the parole board said he needs to be able to be trusted and reliable.

"You breached a significant condition of your order. You were dishonest with program staff you had built a rapport with."

The board members, who were part of Doyle's initial day parole hearing and have a deep understanding of his case, said he was warned in his April hearing of having overconfidence and the ability to present in himself in a positive light. Given his breach the board said his risk has come undue.

Doyle's head dropped in his hands as he stared at the table in front of him.

A panel will be held within 90 days to reconsider this decision.

Preparing for weeks

Parsons told CBC News on Thursday that the parole board contacted him three weeks ago, saying they had concerns about Doyle's behaviour in the community and were holding another hearing.

On Friday afternoon, reached by phone, Parsons said he'd been preparing for weeks for an opportunity to present a previously unreported transcript of an alleged conversation in 2002 in Ontario between Doyle and undercover officers who posed as clients attempting to hire Doyle to carry out a murder.

Greg Parsons read a victim impact statement Friday in a parole hearing for Brian Doyle, who murdered Parsons's mother.
Greg Parsons read a victim impact statement Friday in a parole hearing for Brian Doyle, who murdered Parsons's mother.(Sherry Vivian/CBC)

Parsons says vital information from the sting recording was entered as evidence during Doyle's murder trial, arguing the Crown prosecutor only selected 31 pages of transcript, and did not enter into evidence Doyle's alleged confessions that the murder was premeditated and the fact that he had a previous criminal record for crimes committed in the United States.

Parsons was originally jailed for the 1991 slaying of his mother, Catherine Carroll, in St. John's. The transcript he presented to the board on Friday alleges that Doyle stole a larger pair of shoes at a house party to ensure his own footprints weren't found at the scene and later returned the shoes to establish an alibi.

The transcript, the entirety of which has not been proven in court, also alleges Doyle returned to the party after stabbing Carroll 53 times.

Parsons believes the information, had it been submitted as evidence at a trial trial, would have been sufficient to garner a first-degree murder conviction.

Doyle was charged with first-degree murder but pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in November 2002.

Parsons mantains that a first-degree conviction would have extended the sentence, and reduced Doyle's opportunities to apply for parole.

Sting video lay dormant for years

On Friday, Parsons described to the parole board the hardships resulting from Doyle's crime, but also laid out his case for why Doyle should have his parole revoked and be sent back to prison, claiming the Newfoundland and Labrador justice system covered up significant pieces of evidence against Doyle.

"I want to make sure they have all the facts in front of them. They need to know the facts of this case when they're dealing with this monster and they have to do their due diligence and make sure that the community is safe," he said in an interview.

He peppered his victim impact statement with numerous passages from the sting operation recording.

Parsons told CBC News he had been in possession of the entire recording for years, after late RNC chief Bob Johnston called him into headquarters one day and handed them over, telling Parsons he should watch them.

Parsons said Friday he didn't look at them until years later, as Doyle's initial parole hearing date approached, since he wanted to move on with his life.

He described the video as being of poor quality and said did not realize the full significance of its contents until recently paying $2,700 for a quality improvement and transcription service in recent weeks.

Greg Parsons walks into Supreme Court with his wife Tina and young son after DNA evidence cleared him of killing his mother, Catherine Carroll, in 1998.
Greg Parsons walks into Supreme Court with his wife Tina and young son after DNA evidence cleared him of killing his mother, Catherine Carroll, in 1998.(CBC)

"The evidence that came forward from this transcription is very overwhelming to me," he said in his statement.

"If it wasn't for the corruption within the Newfoundland justice system, Brian Doyle would have been tried for first-degree murder, sentenced to life in prison, locked in a cage without parole for at least 25 years and I wouldn't have to endure this over and over.

"I have immersed myself so deeply into investigating the wrongdoings of this case that it occupies my mind 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whether I'm sleeping or awake."

Parsons says he has post-traumatic stress disorder and trust issues as a consequence of the murder, which makes leaving his home and establishing friendships difficult.

"My quality of life is at an all-time low, and I will never find peace until proper justice is done in this case," he said. "I will never quit."

He says he's now setting his sights on Doyle's alleged crimes in the U.S., in case others have been wrongfully convicted.

"He skated through the system, and for a good part of his sentence, seven years, he ended up in the William Head Institution," Parsons told CBC on Thursday.

"Basically that's a minimum security institution, one fence with an open gate. He had his own apartment. It's scandalous to know that he spent seven years there basically because my mom was robbed by the justice system."

Parsons also submitted an impact statement last April, when the board granted day parole to Doyle. However, he was prevented from presenting it due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time, and said he was not allowed to join by video conference.

He says he believes Doyle is capable of committing further crimes if his parole is extended.

When asked how he felt after hearing Parsons's statement, Doyle broke down, sobbing.

"I'm truly sorry. I wish there was so much I could do to try to take away that hurt, pain and suffering," he said, pausing to catch his breath.

"All I can really do is say I'm sorry. It's something that I live with every day. I live with the hate within myself for what I caused for everybody."

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador