Man accused of murder in Cole Harbour hit and run previously charged with assaulting victim

A 33-year-old man accused of murdering a woman during a hit and run this week in Cole Harbour, N.S., allegedly tried to use a vehicle to assault the same victim in another incident earlier this year and was also later charged with choking her.

Aaron Daniel Crawley was out on bail, according to court records, after a judge granted his release on house arrest in June. A Crown prosecutor had opposed his releaseafter Crawleywas accused of assaulting the woman in two separate incidents.

Crawley is now charged with first-degree murder and multiple counts of failing to comply with release conditions. CBC has learned the victim was Hollie Marie Boland, 30, of Dartmouth.

RCMP Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay said officers were called toShrewsbury Roadshortly after 3 p.m. Monday.

"Our officers learned that a Good Samaritan was rendering assistance to a woman that was being held against her will in a Mercedes," Tremblay said.

"The vehicle was located at a nearby residence and occupied by a man known to the victim."

Tremblay said as the Good Samaritan, another woman,intervened, the driver put the car in reverse and the victim fell out.

"At this point, the driver then intentionally struck the victim before fleeing the scene in the vehicle," Tremblay said.

RCMP said the womanwho was trying to help was also knocked to the ground. Two off-duty police officers who were at a nearby home rushed over and provided first aid, police said.

Paramedics took both women to hospital, police said, and Boland died as a result of her injuries.

Tremblay said it will be up to the medical examiner to determine the exact cause of death.

Police described the Good Samaritan's injuries asnon-life-threatening.

Previous charges

Crawley was dueto appear in Dartmouth provincial court on Tuesday afternoon, but it was rescheduled for Wednesday. He is also scheduled to appear in court in the new yearto face hisprevious charges.

Police did not describe the relationship, but said the accused and victim knew each other.

Brian Cox, the president of the Nova Scotia Crown Attorneys' Association, said given Crawley's release in June, there will likely be questions in the coming weeks about the bail system anddomestic violence.

"This is a terrible tragedy," he said in an interview. "For every Crown attorney who ever handles a case of domestic violence, this is a worst-case scenario."

Court documents show that Crawley was accused of uttering threats and assaulting Bolandwith a motor vehicle in an incidenton May 24.

He was ordered not to have any contact with her, butwas also charged with two counts ofassault andchoking, suffocating or stranglingBolandon June 8.

Following those incidents, a Crown prosecutor sought to have Crawley's bail revoked. Judge Brad Sarsonagreed to revoke bail, but decided to release Crawley on stricter conditions, including house arrest and $6,200 put up by him and a surety.

His conditions also included that he notcontact five people, including Boland, not possess weapons and notsit in the driver's seat of a motor vehicle.

Emergency alert

His home address, according to court documents, was onShrewsbury Road.

Crawley has previous convictions including for assault, resisting a peace officer and theft.

RCMP sent out an emergency alert around 5:30 p.m. on Monday advisingpeople they were searching for Crawleyin relation to a hit and run. The alert described him as "dangerous" and warned people not to approach him.

Officers arrested Crawleyafter finding him on foot near Highway 7 and Lake Major Road, according to a press release sent Tuesday.