A Nova Scotia man serving a life sentence for a gang-related killing has lost an appeal to reinstate his day parole after the Parole Board of Canada ruled there were no grounds to overturn the decision.Dean Daniel Kelsie, now in his early 50s, was convicted of first-degree murder in the October 2000 shooting of Sean Simmons in the lobby of a Dartmouth apartment building. Court records state Simmons was targeted because he had an affair with the wife of a Hells Angels member. Kelsie later admitted to carrying out the killing as a hired gun..His day parole was revoked on March 18 after officials at a Quebec halfway house reported other residents were intimidated by him. Staff were unable to find another facility willing to accept him.In June, Kelsie filed an appeal, arguing the board allowed emotion to outweigh fairness. He questioned why statements from Simmons’ family appeared to carry more weight than his own testimony, the National Post reported.“You submit that the board’s reasons demonstrate that the victims directly influenced the board’s decision,” the Appeal Division summarized in its written ruling dated Nov. 7. Kelsie claimed he did not understand why victim impact statements were prioritized over his explanations and said the board failed to recognize positive changes he has made..The Appeal Division rejected those arguments, finding no evidence that the initial decision was improperly influenced.According to the ruling, victim submissions are required by law and are considered part of the board’s assessment of risk and accountability.The Appeal Division stated it “could not find any grounds” to determine that decision-makers gave undue weight to those statements..The initial parole decision noted concerns from inmates who shared a room with Kelsie, describing his behaviour and non-verbal communication as threatening.The ruling also referenced a pattern of concerning behaviour, including a conviction for uttering threats during a previous release period.Kelsie argued those perceptions were a misunderstanding and attributed tensions to difficulties adjusting to shared living arrangements. He also told the panel that he had not acted violently since 2015 and has been working on improving his behaviour since returning to custody..The Appeal Division acknowledged those submissions but concluded the board was within its rights to assess him as lacking insight into his behaviour and unable to adjust despite repeated support attempts from his case management team.“Both positive and negative information was considered,” the ruling stated, adding that his right to be heard was respected during the original hearing.Kelsie accepted responsibility for his crimes but said the parole board failed to explain how his “perceived negative attitude” increased his risk of reoffending. The Appeal Division disagreed, citing his violent history and more recent behavioural issues as evidence the board acted reasonably.With the appeal dismissed, the revocation of Kelsie’s day parole remains in effect. He continues to serve a life sentence with no confirmed timeline for future release consideration.
