Man accused of attempted murder in Osoyoos elects trial by judge

The man accused of attempted murder in connection to a shooting in Osoyoos in October has elected to be tried by a judge in Supreme Court.

Colton Jacob Thorsen, 24, is facing a charge of attempted murder, two counts of uttering threats and one count of pointing a firearm relating to an Oct. 11, 2020 incident at a residence in Osoyoos.

On Oct. 11 around 1:26 a.m., Osoyoos and Oliver RCMP responded to a report of a shooting in the 8000 block of 70th Avenue. Police reported a 24-year-old man from Osoyoos arrived at the residence of a 21-year-old man, also from Osoyoos, and shot him after an ongoing dispute between the two.

RCMP said the suspect fled the area on foot and was later arrested on Oct. 13, 2020.

Thorsen, through defence counsel Michael Patterson, elected to be tried by a judge alone in Supreme Court in Penticton following a brief hearing on Jan. 27 in Penticton provincial court. A one-day preliminary hearing, which has yet to be scheduled, will have three witnesses: complainants Dylan Mulgrew, 21, and Nathaniel Westergreen as well as one police officer.

Thorsen was granted bail on Dec. 21, 2020.

A Facebook post purportedly written by Thorsen on Oct. 13, 2020 which remains public as of Jan. 27, states: “Yo just to clear everything up with everyone you got till tomorrow after noon till I get 25 years in the pen.”

— This story was originally published by Times-Chronicle.