Kelowna man on bail for manslaughter charged with more violence

A Kelowna man who was granted bail after being charged with killing a Chilliwack man outside a downtown strip club three years ago is now facing more charges for violence.

Matthew John Reid Reimer is now behind bars, having been charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, and dangerous driving following an incident that happened in May.

The incident took place while Reimer was out on bail awaiting trial for the manslaughter death of Chilliwack resident Nicholas Epp.

Epp was found injured outside the Liquid Zoo nightclub in August 2023. Police officers witnessed what they called an “altercation,” and Epp was taken to the hospital, where he died shortly afterwards.

Police released a photo of Reimer at the time, but it took a year before he was charged with manslaughter.

After being charged with killing Epp, the 42-year-old was granted bail and appears to have abided by his conditions until the allegations from May.

It’s not known what took place that led to the new charges, but Reimer is accused of assaulting Cody Lanz.

It appears Reimer and Lanz may have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, as Reimer has also been charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident to give their insurance details.

The charge also states that Reimer failed to offer assistance to Lanz, who was injured or appeared to require assistance.

It took police two months to catch up with Reimer, who was arrested and charged July 25. He now remains in custody.

The issue of bail has been pushed into the limelight recently, following the murder of Kelowna’s Bailey McCourt.

McCourt was killed, and her friend was injured after being attacked while on their lunch break from work in July. That day, McCourt’s estranged husband, James Plover, had been found guilty of choking in a domestic assault. He’s now been charged with her murder. Her family are now pushing for ‘Bailey’s Law,’ proposing bail reform with a focus on domestic violence.

Reimer has a criminal record dating back more than 20 years. When he was 20 years old, he was convicted of assault with a weapon and given 18 months’ probation. He’s also been convicted of fraud and using a stolen credit card. He’s also amassed roughly 20 driving offences.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.