The wife of the gunman who killed 22 people in a horrific rampage in rural Nova Scotia two years ago says fear stopped her from reporting her husband’s violent behavior and illegal weapons — and she still worries someone might attack if publicly recognized. Lisa Banfield, speaking publicly for the first time since the mass killing in April 2020, struggled to maintain her composure on Friday as she described to an inquest how she no longer felt safe leaving her home. She was referring to simmering anger in her province — some of which was directed at her after her late partner, Gabriel Wortman, went on a 13-hour killing spree while dressed as a Mountie and driving a fake patrol car. Giving evidence before the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC), Ms Banfield said she understood the raw emotions among bereaved families and stressed she had nothing to do with their murders. Many, however, did not listen to her because they had already left in protest. “Because of everything that’s out there, I feel like someone could attack me or come against me or my family,” she said. “It’s so difficult, the fact that people think we would have anything to do with it. Our family feels for all these people and we are not angry that they are angry.” Ms. Banfield, along with her brother and brother-in-law, were charged by the RCMP shortly after the attack with purchasing and supplying the assailant with ammunition used in his rampage. The Crown later found there was no “public interest” in sending the case to trial, saying Ms. Banfield was unaware of the offender’s plans and referred her to Nova Scotia’s restorative justice program. Decision to shield Nova Scotia shooter’s wife from cross-examination shakes faith in investigation Revelations from the Nova Scotia mass shooting investigation are building. The news and impact so far With her two sisters at her side for support on Friday, Ms Banfield told those gathered inside a Halifax hotel conference room that the gunman “seemed like the perfect guy” when they first met in a bar in 2001. She described how their relationship soon turned to one of violence, intimidation and manipulation. Ms Banfield did not have to face cross-examination by lawyers for the victims’ families, a decision by the MCC that sparked outrage among those who felt there were holes in the statements she initially gave to police, including how she fled the attacker. and hid in the forest in the early morning hours of the attack. The panel defended the move, saying Ms Banfield had already suffered enough – and cross-examination is not always the best way to get to the truth. Pressed by MCC lawyer Gillian Hnatiw about Mr Wortman’s behavior over their 19-year relationship, Ms Banfield’s testimony was difficult and dramatic at times. She described how her partner beat her in 2003 in front of witnesses and explained why she lied to police about his guns when they turned up on her doorstep a few years later. He said he knew it was illegal to have guns without a gun license but never thought to report him to the police. Sometimes, during fights, he pointed a gun at her head to intimidate her, she said. “He said he could blow my head off,” she said. “I was afraid of what he might do. “The adults knew he had these weapons and they were afraid of him, so I thought, ‘What am I going to do?’” When neighbor Brenda Forbes reported another attack to the RCMP in 2013, when the shooter knocked Ms. Banfield to the ground and began choking her, the Mounties never followed her up for questioning, she testified. Ms Banfield described how she covered for her husband in June 2010 when police were called to their Dartmouth home after he fired shots into the wall and threatened to kill his parents. She recalled telling an officer that her husband had left and had no guns in the house because she was worried he would start shooting if the officer searched the house. Another time, she heard him claim to an RCMP officer that he only had a “musket” and an antique gun loaded with wax at his cottage in Portapique, NS after a complaint about his firearms collection. Ms. Banfield also testified that Mr. Wortman told her that the replica RCMP patrol car he was building was “just for show” and that he planned to put the names of fallen Mounties on the hood. He said he never imagined someone would use such a vehicle as part of a mass murder. He described how he collected police uniforms, equipment and handcuffs and carried a fake ambulance badge and RCMP business card to flash to escape speeding tickets and hotel discounts on trips across the US Her husband also bragged about speeding in the passing lane on the highway to Portapique and enjoyed watching people pull over, mistaking him for a real police officer in his decommissioned police vehicle and reflective vest, Ms Banfield said. “He got excited when they thought he was a police officer,” she said. Ms Banfield said she did not know why the gunman targeted certain neighbors during his rampage or drove long distances to kill others. She recalled a brutal attack she suffered in 2003 when he attacked her after she tried to leave a party at a lake north of Portapique. After he beat her, someone called the police and they chased him into the back of an RCMP cruiser – but he was taken back to his cottage instead of being arrested and charged, Ms. Banfield said. Asked why she didn’t report the assault to the police, Banfield replied: “It’s the first time I’ve ever been hit and I didn’t want to get anyone in trouble. I just thought, ‘I’m walking away.’” The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
