Andrew Robert Douglas Berry has been charged in connection with the murders of his daughters Aubrey, 4, and Chloe, 6.
The bodies of the two young girls were discovered inside Berry’s Oak Bay apartment in the evening on Christmas Day.
The 43-year-old father was taken to hospital with self-inflicted injuries.
According to police, Andrew Berry was arrested and charged with two counts of 2nd-degree murder upon his release from the hospital.
“From the moment the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit arrived, they have been compassionate, professional, and diligent. We’ve been engaged with them throughout this investigation and we’re very grateful for their tireless effort,” said Deputy Chief Ray Bernoties of the Oak Bay Police.
No other information was released.
A long and ugly history
According to a recently unearthed court document, Andrew Berry and Sarah Cotton spent five days in November 2016, in the B.C. Supreme Court fighting for custody of their daughters.
On May 31st, 2017, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Victoria Gray handed down her judgement for a shared custody arrangement.
With regard to Christmas 2017, the girls were to have parenting time with the father from noon on December 24 to noon on December 25.
The court document outlines a series of disturbing allegations against Berry in the past:
- Cotton testified that after her father passed away in 2013, Berry started criticizing her and calling her foul names in front of the girls.
- When Berry was angry with her, he would drive erratically and go over the speed limit, even when the children were in the car.
- The court accepted Cotton’s “uncontradicted evidence” that Berry threatened to “blow up the house” if he didn’t get a breakdown of childcare expenses and family allowance cheques from the government.
- In September 2013, Berry was arrested when Cotton called the police after he pinned her to her bed at around 3 AM.
- In October 2015, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) investigated Berry after reports that he had inappropriately touched Aubrey’s genitals. He was then instructed to take parenting courses.
Failed by the system?
These, and other revelations in the court document have many in the community asking whether the judicial system failed to protect Chloe and Aubrey.
British Columbia’s Representative for Children and Youth has stated that a formal review will not be considered, until the police investigation is finalized.
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit are still conducting their investigation and have not yet made public the cause of death.
