Appeal tossed after Princeton man punched, injured doctor during pandemic

The Princeton hospital chief of staff couldn’t perform surgery for weeks, then left the community for good after he was assaulted on the job.

His anti-masker assailant, who refused to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic, was sentenced to 12 months jail. Last month, his appeal was tossed.

Dr. Andrew Ashley needed surgery and he was not only out of work for weeks after the assault but when he left the town the incident made it harder to hire someone else to replace him, according to a recently published BC Supreme Court decision.

On Aug. 2, 2022, Trevor Clary Rhyno went to Cascade Medical Clinic because of a rash on his face. Despite a public health order at the time, he didn’t want to wear a mask. Ashley invited him outside in an effort to de-escalate the situation.

Rhyno was filming him and approached the doctor, but Ashley pushed Rhyno’s hand and phone away. That’s when Rhyno punched him, first to the temple and next to Ashley’s hand, which he raised as he tried to block the second blow, according to the decision.

Ashley’s thumb needed surgery and he couldn’t worked in the emergency room for weeks, but the damaged ligament was still impacting his life for months after.

“Dr. Ashley and his family no longer felt safe in Princeton, where they had previously immersed themselves into the community,” Justice Julia Lawn’s decision reads.

She dismissed Rhyno’s appeal, affirming the November 2025 provincial court sentence that imposed a 12-month jail sentence, two-year probation and $10,000 fine.