Rope and tarp found in vehicle Garnier was driving, Catherine Campbell murder trial told

Yellow rope, tape, a green tarp anda new pair of work gloves were found in the vehicleaccused murderer Christopher Garnierwas drivingwhen he was arrested during the investigation into Catherine Campbell's death, a Halifax police officer testified Wednesday.

Sgt. Kenneth Burton told a Nova Scotia Supreme Court juryhe was part of the team that hadGarnier's Clayton Park home under surveillance the night of Sept. 15, 2015, when he saw a man get into a Ford Edge and drive to the Macdonald Bridgebefore returning home.

The Crown allegesGarnierhad dumped Campbell's body under the bridge several days earlier after he strangled her in a nearby Halifax apartment.

The vehicle was subsequently stopped andGarnierwas arrested. In addition to the tarp and other items in the front passenger seat, Burton said a brown blanket was in the back seat.

The officer said he didn't know what line of work Garnier was in and whether any of theitems could be used in that job.

Witness says he sawGarnierstruggling withbin

Garnier, 29, is on trial forsecond-degree murder in the death of Campbell, an off-duty Truro, N.S., police officer,and interfering with a dead body.He has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Another witness testified Wednesday that he watched Garnierstruggle with a green bin as he rolled it to the Macdonald Bridge. David Yeowent onto his second-floor balcony for a coffee and cigarette early on Sept. 11, 2015, hours after Campbell was last seen alive.

Two other witnesses have said they saw a man moving a green bin in the area, but Yeo is the first to identify the man as Garnier. He said he watched for 10minutes as the man struggled with the bin, swearing and "having a grand time" getting it to a line of trees under the bridge.

Yeo said Garnierdid something with the bin, though he couldn't see what. A few moments later, he watched Garnierhead back up the hill away from the bridge, swinging the bin as though it no longer had much weight in it.

Yeothought the man looked disoriented and found his actions strange.

Defence suggests death was accidental

Another officer who was part of the surveillance team testified Tuesday that Garnierpaused for about 10 seconds near the Macdonald Bridge before driving off.

On the night she died, Campbell met Garnierat the Alehouse, a Halifax bar, and the pair later went to an apartment on McCullyStreet, the court has heard.

On Tuesday, defence lawyer Joel Pink suggested that consensual choking during sex played a role in Campbell's death, which he called "accidental."

Medical examiner Matthew Bowes has testified Campbell was strangledandhad black eyes and a broken nose when her body was found.

Blair Rhodes waslive blogging from court. Mobile users can click here to see the day's blog.