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Still confused about consent? Judge’s ruling on Coldstream sex assault might help

VERNON - A man has lost his appeal over a sexual assault that happened after a birthday party in Coldstream. According to a Jan. 6, 2016 judgment by Justice Martha Devlin, a group of people spent the evening drinking and going to a nightclub in Vernon in September 2011 to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Later,...

Vernon man claiming ‘addiction’ to child porn facing jail for possession

VERNON - A Vernon man will be handed a mandatory minimum of three months in jail, and possibly more, after getting caught with child pornography. Police began investigating Karl David Lawrence after an RCMP monitoring tool picked up suspected child pornography activity on his IP address in March 2014, Crown counsel  Cristina Cabulea said during...

Why your condo neighbours might not be allowed to smoke on their own balconies

SALMON ARM - There are strict rules in today’s world about where you can smoke and where you can’t, but as a Salmon Arm man found out through a lengthy legal battle with his strata council, there are some grey areas. Walter Peter Andrushko moved into a Salmon Arm condo for residents aged 55 and...

Man back in custody minutes after leaving Penticton court

PENTICTON - A man found sleeping in a truck filled with stolen items made a court appearance yesterday, and then was taken back into custody just minutes after leaving the court house when he was witnessed stealing a cash box. The man, who is well known to police, was arrested Dec. 23 after residents reported...

Massive gun-bust case tossed due to numerous mistakes by Kamloops Mounties

KAMLOOPS - After RCMP raided a Kamloops trailer filled with guns and ammunition in December 2013, they displayed their haul at the RCMP detachment where the city’s top cop posed for pictures and told reporters about the dangers of illegal firearms. They got multiple weapons including shotguns and chopped up, rebuilt long guns, ammunition, drugs...

Vernon mayor handed fine for improper tax filings

VERNON - Vernon mayor Akbal Mund has been ordered to pay a fine after some trouble with his taxes. The mayor pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with the Income Tax Act in Vernon Provincial Court Thursday, Dec. 17. A second count was stayed, and Mund was handed a $1,000 fine. “The...

Conviction thrown out for man accused of driving into Vernon firefighter

VERNON - A man convicted of dangerous driving causing bodily harm will have his case heard again due to a technicality.  Ian Douglas Burns, 28, was found guilty of hitting BX/Swan Lake firefighter Stephan Hidasi with his truck, but a judge has now deemed that ruling null because court procedures weren’t followed. Crown spokesperson Neil...

Max the therapy dog keeps young witness company at Prince George trial

PRINCE GEORGE - The Victims’ Services Branch of the Prince George RCMP has a new, friendly tool to help victims feel less anxious about testifying in court. Max the therapy dog was a new addition to a Supreme Court jury trial to help a young witness in a violent assault case — a first visit...

Trial postponed for Armstrong man facing animal cruelty charges

VERNON - The trial of a man accused of mistreating a large herd of horses in Armstrong has been postponed. Gary Roberts, 69, was scheduled to begin a three-day trial in Vernon Provincial Court Monday, Nov. 9 on charges of causing unnecessary pain or suffering to an animal, failing to provide necessities, and uttering threats...

Vernon man sentenced to jail time for child porn possession

VERNON - A Vernon man snared in a nation-wide child pornography investigation has been put behind bars. Rylan Sandberg, 46, was one of 150 Canadians arrested as a result of the investigation, which began in February 2014. A 49-year-old Vernon man and a 29-year-old Kelowna man were also arrested. Sandberg pleaded guilty to possession of...