FOERSTER TRIAL: What the jury didn’t hear

KELOWNA – Seven men and five women found a Cherryville man guilty of first degree murder, but they didn’t know his whole story.

Matthew Foerster, 28, is charged in two other criminal matters, but juries must base their conclusions only on evidence specific to the charges at hand. Separate offences are handled individually to avoid tainting the jury’s judgment.

That’s why anything to do with two other women Foerster allegedly assaulted was kept from the ears of the jury. Now that the jury is in, we can tell you the rest of what is known about the man who killed Taylor Van Diest.

In April 2012, he was charged in connection with a 2004 home invasion in Cherryville, his home town, where he allegedly broke into a 19-year-old woman’s bedroom while she slept. He is charged with assault causing bodily harm and unlawful confinement.

He is also accused of assaulting a sex-trade worker at a Kelowna escort agency in 2005. Those charges include sexual assault with a weapon and confinement.

Foerster’s next appearance on those charges is May 5 in Kelowna to fix a date. He elected trial by judge alone on both matters. Crown spokesperson Neil MacKenzie says any future sentences would be served concurrently with Foerster’s life sentence.

The jury also didn’t hear that his father, Stephen Foerster, is charged in connection with Van Diest’s death. He faces charges of accessory after the fact to murder and obstruction of justice and was ordered to stand trial last October. The courts are currently in the process of setting a date for that trial, and his next appearance is May 5.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.