Man sentenced to life for deaths of couple and grandchild assaulted in jail

CALGARY – A man sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars for the murder of a Calgary couple and their grandson has been assaulted in jail, according to his lawyer.

Kim Ross says his client Douglas Garland was attacked Friday night in the Calgary Remand Centre where he is awaiting transfer to a federal institution.

Calgary police say a 57-year-old inmate at the jail was seriously injured after being assaulted by several other inmates, but would not identify the man.

Police say the man was treated at the scene and transported to hospital in non-life-threatening condition.

Ross says he talked to staff at the remand centre who confirmed the alleged victim was Garland, but he says it's his understanding the assault was minor and that his client would be back at the jail later Saturday.

Garland was convicted on Thursday of killing Alvin and Kathy Liknes and five-year-old Nathan O'Brien in June of 2014, and was sentenced on Friday to life in prison with no chance of parole for 75 years.

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Kim Anderson

Originally from a northern B.C. town that boasts a giant fly fishing rod and a population of 3,100, Kim moved to Kamloops in 2011 to attend Thompson Rivers University. Kim is as comfortable behind a camera as she is writing on her laptop. After graduating with a degree in journalism, Kim has been busy with an independent freelance writing project and photography work. Contact Kim at kanderson@infonews.ca with news tips or story ideas.

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