Kelowna reporter reaches deal with U.S. prosecutor, can return to Canada

KELOWNA – Tieja MacLaughlin, the Kelowna reporter charged with felony harassment of 19-year-old hockey player Jackson Playfair, has reached a deal with the county prosecutor’s office and has been allowed to return home.

MacLaughlin, 25, was charged with felony harassment with domestic abuse but has had her charges reduced to a gross misdemeanor.

According to Kevin Uretsky of kvewtv.com, if MacLaughlin meets all the requirements of the deal, including having no contact with Playfair and undergoing counselling, the case will be dismissed in a year.

MacLaughlin did not have to enter a guilty plea.

It is alleged that MacLaughlin drove from Kelowna to Kennewick to confront Playfair after finding out he was dating someone else. Court documents also allege she threatened to kill him.

She has been in Benton County, Washington ever since her arrest in a hotel room January 18.

"So at this point in time I'm not concerned about anything else other than going home. I've been here four weeks. It's been emotionally exhausting, not only for me but for my family too and financially as well. We've taken a big hit so at this point in time I'm just concerned with getting myself back home to Canada," MacLaughlin told KVEWTV after court Wednesday.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca, call (250) 718-0428 or tweet @AdamProskiw.