The Crown sought estreatment and forfeiture of a $30,000 recognizance after the accused breached a house arrest condition by leaving his residence without a surety.
The accused had been released on bail with two sureties and strict conditions addressing substance abuse risks.
One surety temporarily delegated supervisory responsibilities to the other while leaving on vacation, without seeking a formal bail variation.
The court held that sureties cannot unilaterally delegate or restructure bail supervision and must seek formal variation where circumstances change.
Partial forfeiture was ordered against the accused and both sureties, balancing the importance of maintaining the “pull of bail” with the relatively limited harm caused by the brief breach.
