Sentencing hearing for truculent gun smuggler goes about as expected

PENTICTON – A Penticton Supreme Court case that has had its share of bizarre moments had another one this morning.

Justice Arne Silverman has so far allowed plenty of flexibility to Alex Louie, who he has already found guilty of smuggling two guns across the U.S. border into Canada in January 2017. Throughout his court proceedings, Louie has argued that he is not subject to the laws of Canada and refused to participate and disrupted the process.

Still, Silverman allowed Louie an adjournment to apply for a constitutional challenge on mandatory minimums for sentencing in his case. He also allowed Louie, who has no lawyer and goes by the name ’Senk’lip,' to be assisted by a friend for a hearing today.

That didn’t go so well.

Silverman's Penticton courtroom was connected by phone to prosecutor Clarke Burnett, Louie and Louie’s friend who identified herself as Irene Kiapilanoq of the "Sovereign Squamish Government.”

She did the same thing as Louie: refused to follow Silverman's instructions and constantly spoke over him until the judge was forced to end the four-way phone conversation.

The conference call reconvened a short time later without Kiapilanoq, and Louie again repeatedly interrupted proceedings, accused the judge of disrespecting him and repeated arguments already ruled irrelevant by the judge in previous proceedings.

The hearing concluded with a new sentencing date of March 19.

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