Court

Convicted pedophile labelled dangerous offender, handed indeterminate federal jail sentence

KAMLOOPS – With a lengthy criminal history including five sexual offenses, most of which were against children, a Kamloops Provincial Court judge labelled a convicted pedophile as a dangerous offender and gave him an indeterminate jail sentence Thursday morning. After reviewing the extensive criminal history of David Bruce Jennings, 51, Provincial Court Judge Len Marchand...

Tearful testimony from cops who thought they were going to die

KELOWNA – Two RCMP constables, testifying in the Kelowna Supreme Court trial of accused Westside Road shooter Michael Ellis Thursday afternoon, relived a day they will never forget. Const. Tara Schneider was working general duty in Vernon the afternoon of July 31, 2012 when a call that police were in pursuit of a suspect who...

Penticton man sentenced to five years in prison for sex assault

PENTICTON - A local man was sentenced today to nearly five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of sexual and aggravated assault. Darren MacDonald, 42, appeared in Penticton Supreme Court via video conference from Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre where he has been in custody since Aug. 11, 2013. He pleaded guilty this...

Repeat offender escapes dangerous offender label

KAMLOOPS – Despite more than 100 criminal convictions and a history of violence, a man well known around the Kamloops courthouse narrowly escaped a dangerous designation but he has earned a less serious long-term offender label. Kamloops Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Ker made the decision for Shane Jeurissen, 44, after handing him a seven-year jail...

Judge rules man’s dangerous driving killed two passengers

KAMLOOPS – It’s been four years since a vehicle accident took the lifes of Brittany Plotnikoff, 20, and Ken Craigdallie, 38, and today a judge’s ruling has determined it was dangerous driving which caused their deaths. Wayne Fedan, born 1961, was originally charged with two counts of impaired driving causing death, two counts of causing...

This is how a 76-year-old woman responded to threats from Penticton city hall

PENTICTON - A local woman refuses to apologize to city staff about comments she made in letters sent to city staff and council, and puts herself at risk to be sued. Elvena Slump, 76, has been an outspoken member of the public and has written several letters to local media and city council critical of...

Jail time already served, man walks away on probation

PENTICTON - An Oliver man was sentenced Monday for charges related to a car bomb explosion last August. Eric Olivier Daoust pled guilty to mischief over $5,000 and was sentenced to 30 days in jail plus two years of probation. He already served the jail time so he walked out of Penticton Provincial Court on...

OOPS: Man accidentally released on bail on domestic violence charges

KAMLOOPS – A man held in custody on a string of domestic violence charges was mistakenly set free on bail from the Kamloops Law Courts and a Supreme Court judge was asked to fix it last week. "Confusing," was how Justice Hope Hyslop described the situation surrounding Jeremy Allen, born 1980. It's not clear exactly...

Shooting victim granted bail

KAMLOOPS – A man lucky to be alive following a gunshot wound to the face was granted a $5,000 bail Thursday morning in Provincial Court. Emmanual “Manny” Brooks, 23, sported a neck brace with his prison attire to continue his bail hearing from August 13. Brooks is charged with uttering threats and mischief under $5,000...

Police did not request statement on night of crash: Witness

KAMLOOPS - A Kamloops Supreme court heard Thursday morning about more RCMP errors in the investigation of a fatal accident when a witness who was first on scene said officers told him to leave the accident site and go home. Brittany Plotnikoff, 20, and her boyfriend Ken Craigdallie, 32, died after a truck crashed on...

Witness describes truck driving erratically the night two passengers died

KAMLOOPS – Tailgating, highbeaming and lane changing is how James Schneider, the first witness called in a dangerous driving causing death trial in Kamloops Supreme Court, described a truck’s driving patterns the night two people died in a single vehicle crash.  Wayne Fedan, born 1961, is charged with dangerous and impaired driving causing the deaths...

UPDATE: Victim in fatal crash was ‘ridiculously drunk’

KAMLOOPS – The last two people to spend time with the victims before a fatal crash shared recollections on the evening’s timeline which involved a large bottle of Crown Royal whiskey, during a Kamloops Supreme court trial Wednesday afternoon. Angela Gillis said she and her friend, Michelle Camille, hosted a trio for drinks hours before...

Witness claims original statement to RCMP inaccurate due to intoxication

KAMLOOPS – On Tuesday morning, the gallery of a Kamloops Supreme courtroom heard differing accounts from two women who claimed to be first on scene at a fatal vehicle accident on March 20, 2010. Wayne Fedan, born in 1961, is charged with impaired driving causing the deaths of Brittany Plotnikoff, 20, and Ken Craigdallie, 38....

Three accused wait while fourth decides on trial election

KAMLOOPS - Three out of the four men accused of an armed robbery in the Cherry Creek area chose to have their case heard in Supreme Court, but will continue waiting at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre until the fourth man accused makes his election. Anees Mohammed, born in 1991, Ellwood Bradbury, born in 1990, Gopal...

Sentencing delayed for missionary guilty of assaulting wife and kids

VERNON - The sentence hearing for a missionary found guilty of assaulting his wife and children was postponed Tuesday so he could receive a psychiatric assessment. The 42-year-old was supposed to be sentenced on charges of assault, assault with a weapon and sexual assault Tuesday afternoon in Vernon Supreme Court but a last minute order...