Two members of the Rutland 7 plead guilty to Manslaughter

Two members of the Rutland 7 plead guilty to Manslaughter | iNFOnews.ca
Norman Robert Cocks, left, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the beating death of Dain Phillips in Kelowna, June 2011. His father, Robert Charles Cocks, right, has pleaded not guilty and will go to trial for his alleged involvement in Phillips death. Global Okanagan (with permission)

KELOWNA – Two of the men accused of killing a Kelowna resident in June 2011 pleaded guilty to manslaughter in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Thursday.

Robert Leonard Thomas, 48, and Norman Robert Cocks, 33, are both full patch Hells Angels accused of killing 51-year-old Dain Philips when he got involved in a dispute between his two adult sons and two of their acquaintances they knew from Rutland Senior Secondary.

Global News reports that Philips was beaten to death by baseball bats and hammers. A trial is set to commence Monday, where details of the involvement of both men will be discussed.

They are the first full patch members of the Hells Angels to be convicted of manslaughter in B.C.

The two remain in custody where they have been since being charged in 2011.

A trial will begin Monday and is expected to last three months.

Also charged in the killing are Matthew Thomas McRae, Daniel Joseph McRae, Robert Charles Cocks and Anson Lloyd Schell. All have been out on bail since being charged.

The maximum sentence for Manslaughter is life in prison.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca, call (250) 718-0428 or tweet @AdamProskiw.

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Adam Proskiw

Adam has lived in B.C. most of his life. He was born in the Caribou, grew up in the Okanagan, went to university on Vancouver Island and worked as a news photographer in Vancouver. His favourite stories incorporate meaningful photography and feature interesting, passionate locals. He studied writing at UVic and photojournalism in California. He loves talking tractors, dogs and cameras and is always looking for a good story.


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