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Court
Two of three accused Westside shooters plead guilty
KELOWNA — Two of three suspects accused of getting into a shootout with police in West Kelowna almost 2 years ago have pleaded guilty. Ashley Alexandria Collins, 21, and Shawn Adam Wysinski, 34, entered their pleas Wednesday in Kelowna Supreme Court. The case dates back to July 31, 2012 when Collins, Wysinski and Michael Edward...
Man arrested for alleged assault
BARRIERE - A Barriere man was taken into custody Monday morning after he allegedly threatened and assaulted a 55-year-old man Saturday night. Jordee Edward Beeds, 22, faces a number of potential charges following an incident at a home on the 3500 block of South Barriere Lake Road. Police were told Beeds had access to firearms...
Dangerous offender hearing to start next week
PENTICTON - A dangerous offender hearing and sentencing for sex offender David Wesley Bobbitt will begin next Monday, June 23 in Penticton Supreme Court. Bobbitt pleaded guilty last April to several charges including sexual assault, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and confinement from an incident in 2012. Sentencing through the dangerous offender hearing, which...
Police swap suspects in hit and run case
KELOWNA – Charges have been dropped against a Kelowna man accused of critically injuring a paper carrier while fleeing from police and RCMP have arrested a new suspect. Nathan Fahl, 24, was riding in a vehicle with two other people Dec. 6, 2013 when they allegedly tried to avoid a police road check on Springfield...
Kelowna man faces the judge following armed robbery
KELOWNA - A 22-year-old Kelowna man was arrested after a Subway restaurant was robbed at knife-point Monday. Mounties headed to the Subway Restaurant at 1100 Lawrence Ave. just after 6:45 June 9 when the hold-up alarm was triggered. When they arrived, they were told an unknown man came into the restaurant with a knife in...
Ex-city councillor, sex offender sentencing delayed
PENTICTON — A sentencing date for an ex-city councillor who pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges, will be set on Monday. Gary A. Leaman, who served on Penticton City Council for three years and ran for mayor in 2008, will face sentencing for the two counts of sexual assault he plead guilty to in January....
Vernon man sues Aeroplan over cancellation of points
KELOWNA – An Vernon man claiming thousands of dollars in damages as a result of a consumer loyalty program that cancelled his points, will have to wait for another lawsuit to be settled before his case can be heard. John David Romanchuk alleges Aeroplan, a program where members accumulate points for making purchases, unilaterally cancelled...
UPDATE: Neil Snelson granted bail
"I’M WORRIED THAT HE MIGHT REOFFEND AGAIN” KAMLOOPS — A Kelowna man awaiting a manslaughter re-trial in the death of a Kelowna teen in 1993 has been granted bail provided he comes up with $75,000 surety. Neil George Snelson, 47, was once tried and convicted of the manslaughter of 19-year-old college student Jennifer Cusworth. He...
Retirement age begins in prison for this child molester
KELOWNA – A 64-year-old man is going to jail for molesting two of his own relatives almost 30 years ago. The man, who can't be named by court order, appeared in court Monday with his current wife and pleaded guilty to charges of indecent assault, gross indecency and sexual assault. He admitted to sexually abusing...
Snelson seeks bail before manslaughter re-trial
KAMLOOPS – A Kelowna man is seeking bail in a hearing tomorrow in advance of his second trial for the 1993 rape and murder of a college student. Neil George Snelson, 47, is awaiting a new trial ordered by the B.C. Court of Appeal. His trial was delayed again today. Snelson requested more time for...
Judge says domestic abuser fighting ‘losing battle’
PENTICTON — A provincial court judge says there’s no hope ordering mandatory counselling for a serial domestic offender since he's been doing it for 15 years. Neil Allison Ryerson, born in 1968, was sentenced today in Penticton Provincial Court to six months in jail for beating up his now ex-girlfriend. Ryerson has an extensive criminal...
Accused Clearwater murder suspect appears in court
KAMLOOPS – A Clearwater man charged with first degree murder in the death of his…
Leaded gloves used to assault her victim
KAMLOOPS – A local woman with a lengthy criminal record will have her sentencing for two separate guilty pleas in June. Mary Lynn Dyson, born in 1984, is facing sentencing from two separate incidents. The first is from a break and enter in 2012. For her involvement, Dyson was charged with assault, use of weapon,...
Arsonist admits to burning down West Kelowna Lion’s Hall
KELOWNA – Kerry Robert Cooper pleaded guilty Thursday morning to burning down the West Kelowna Lion’s Hall. Cooper, 30, entered the plea from North Fraser Pre-Trial, declining legal representation. Crown prosecutor Dave Grabavac says Cooper admitted to the Sept. 1 arson after seeing video footage of him buying gas, walking in the direction of the...
Man caught near Osoyoos with eight bricks of cocaine
OSOYOOS - A 19-year-old Mexican National arrested at the border with a backpack full of cocaine faces sentencing later this month. RCMP and the United States Border Patrol combined efforts, arresting two men near the Boot Lake area east of Oroville/Osoyoos Lake January 3, 2014. Andy Garcia-Macias was arrested soon after he and the other...
Man involved with drug ring pleads guilty
KAMLOOPS – A local man with ties to an organized cocaine operation pleaded guilty to two drug charges in Kamloops Supreme Court yesterday. Jean-Claude Auger, 38, is one of eight Kamloops men charged after an RCMP sting discovered an organized cocaine dial-a-dope operation. The group operated from February until October of 2012. RCMP uncovered the...
Trial begins for man accused of dangerous driving in death of Kamloops man
VERNON - A Lavington man’s dangerous driving causing death trial began Tuesday, almost three years to the day he was involved in a crash that left a Kamloops man dead. Terrance Edward Brown, born in 1977, faces one count of dangerous driving causing death and one count of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. He was...