Nathan Gervais arrested overseas, returned to Canada to face 1st-degree murder charge

A Calgary man is being transported back to Canada to face a first-degree murder charge, after fleeing overseas to Vietnam.

Nathan PaulGervais fled Calgary while on bail pending trial and aCanada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest.He was returned to Canada from Vietnam on Friday, police said in a release.

Upon re-enteringCanada, he was arrested by Calgary police, who said he'll be returned to Calgary next week.

On Saturday, Gervais appeared before an Ontario justice of the peace in relation to his Canada-wide warrants, police said in a release.

• Nathan Paul Gervais wanted on warrants ahead of Lukas Strasser-Hird murder trial

Alberta prosecutors and police had been liaising with foreign officials to locate and repatriate Gervais.

He was supposed to be under24-hour house arrest, but when police checked on him on April 16, 2016, the then 21-year-old was nowhere to be found.

The Crown prosecutor's office said that as the case is currently being reviewed, it is unable to comment at this time.

LukasStrasser-Hird, 18,died after he was swarmed and stabbed in an alley at Second Street and 10th Avenue S.W. in Calgary in 2013.

Evidence presented at trial suggested the fight followed a confrontation at a nearby nightclub, where Strasser-Hird spoke out after another man referred to the bouncer with a racial slur.

Gervais was set to be tried along with four other young men, three of which Franz Cabrera, Assmar Shlah and JochPouk were later convicted in Strasser-Hird's death.

Cabrera and Shlah were found guilty of second-degree murder, while Pouk was found guilty of manslaughter.

Police thanked the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam for its co-operation on the case, as well as the RCMP, Interpol and the Canada Border Services Agency.

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