Convicted killer on trial in Kamloops for possession of guns and drugs

KAMLOOPS – Police witnesses have begun testifying at the trial of a Kamloops man who is accused of having a stash of guns and drugs at his house on the North Shore.

Steven Bernd Bartkowski is facing nearly a dozen charges related to possesion of guns and drugs while under a lifetime ban on owning firearms.

Bartkowski was convicted of manslaughter in the 2002 beating death of Noel Thibault in Victoria. Media reports indicate he was released from prison in 2011.

The accused has a lengthy criminal history, including offences in Kamloops.

Court heard today, Aug. 15, police had been surveilling Bartkowski's basement suite up until a search warrant was obtained in March 2014.

Officers attended the home and found several weapons including a rifle, a handgun and a taser Crown prosecutor Adrienne Murphy described as looking like brass knuckles.

Murphy told the court drugs were also found at the home.

"There were three pills found in a Kinder Surprise egg," Murphy said.

Kamloops RCMP Targeted Enforcement Unit Const. David Bonner-Corriveau testified officers attended the home on March 14, 2014, looking for drugs, paraphenalia, money and scoresheets, which he says drug dealers use to keep track of transactions.

Nobody was inside the suite at the time, so officers used a battering ram to open the door.

Bartkowski's trial is expected to continue all week.

— This story was updated at 2:15 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016 to clarify Bartkowski's release date.

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