justice system
Majority of B.C. residents think little of the justice system: poll
The majority of B.C. residents say the justice system needs additional resources to deal with…
Vernon woman seeks justice reform after brother’s killer’s absolute discharge
VERNON – A woman and her family are seeking to spark a change in the…
Man accused of killing Armstrong woman returns to court this fall
VERNON - The man accused of killing an Armstrong mother of two will go before a judge for a preliminary inquiry this fall. Logan Scott, 31, of Salmon Arm was charged with manslaughter and theft under $5,000 in August 2014, nine months after Jillian McKinty, 27, was found dead in her Armstrong home. At the...
Judge to hear evidence against Lumby man accused of murder
VERNON - A Lumby man accused of murdering his girlfriend, a local teacher, is before a provincial court judge this week. A preliminary inquiry for Howard Everett Krewson, also known as Howard Everett, began Wednesday, Feb. 4 and is scheduled to last five days. Krewson, 55, was charged with the second degree murder of Linda...
HELSTON: A reminder that you’re innocent until proven guilty
In Canada, you’re innocent until proven guilty whether charged with murder or stealing an ice cream cone. Sure, you might not go to court over a frozen milk product, but the point is, no matter how heinous or mild the crime, the principle remains the same: an allegation is not a conviction. We brought you...
100 horses for sale following Armstrong cruelty investigation
"LET'S SAVE THIS THING AND MAKE IT TURN OUT FOR THE GOOD" ARMSTRONG - Homes are being sought for 100 horses in Armstrong following an animal cruelty investigation. The horses belong to Gary Roberts, 69, who faces two counts of animal cruelty charges stemming from a December 2014 B.C. SPCA investigation. Seventeen of Roberts’ horses...
Developers sue after Salmon Arm property buy turns sour
SALMON ARM - A multi-million dollar lawsuit is underway after a trio of developers found out the property they bought in Salmon Arm wouldn’t be as profitable as they’d expected. Smart Centres Inc., Salmon Arm Shopping Centres Limited and Calloway REIT (Salmon Arm) Inc. are suing EBA Engineering Consultants, and three of its employees, over...
Former accountant handed jail time for fraud schemes in Vernon
"IT MAKES ME WONDER HOW I FELL FOR HER THE LAST TIME:" JUDGE VERNON - A former accountant who tried to cash a forged cheque grew more sophisticated in her ploys since her last court appearance for fraud, a Vernon provincial court judge said. Abigail Marie Mcelman, 36, was arrested at Vernon’s Venue Financial Centre...
Man earns jail time for robbing Enderby liquor store at knife-point
ENDERBY - A man with a lengthy criminal history was handed three years in prison for robbing the Enderby Liquor Store at knife-point. Donny Glen Neigum, 42, entered the liquor store Dec. 29, 2012 with his face hidden behind a scarf and a hoodie. He brandished a knife, and pushed the handle end of it...
What a Vernon sex offender learned from his last conviction
CROWN WANTS CHILD LURER TO SPEND 6-7 YEARS BEHIND BARS AFTER GUILTY PLEA VERNON - Planned and predatory are the words Crown counsel used to describe the actions of a man who lured Okanagan girls over the Internet and asked them for nude photographs. David Clayton Willerth, born in 1974, pleaded guilty to 18 of...
Vernon man facing luring, child porn charges to be sentenced
VERNON - A Vernon man facing luring and child pornography charges will be sentenced this week. David Clayton Willerth, born in 1974, is charged with 25 counts, including luring children under 16 by computer, making or publishing child pornography, and invitation to sexual touching of a person under 16. Willerth’s lawyer, David Johnson, appeared in...
Vernon man expected to plead guilty to luring, child porn charges
VERNON - A Vernon man was scheduled to enter intended guilty pleas Monday in Vernon Supreme Court on various child pornography related charges, but that won’t happen for another few weeks. David Clayton Willerth, born in 1974, faces 25 counts, including luring children under 16 over the computer, making or publishing child pornography and invitation...
Matthew Foerster to appeal first degree murder conviction
ARMSTRONG - The man convicted of brutally killing an Armstrong teen is appealing his first degree murder verdict. A jury found Matthew Foerster, 28, guilty of murdering Taylor Van Diest, 18, in April of this year. The verdict carries an automatic life sentence, with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. But a notice of...
HELSTON: Suspects walk without charges in high profile cases—what’s going on?
Over the course of a week, police let the suspects in two separate, serious incidents walk without charges. The first incident was a shooting in Polson Park Aug. 12. Police said multiple people were involved and several shots were fired. Later that day, one person was arrested in Vernon and three in Kelowna. The next...
Missionary found guilty of assaulting wife and children
VERNON - A former missionary and pastor who 'corrected' his children by beating them with a comb and who forced himself on their mother was found guilty of assault with a weapon and sexual assault in Vernon Supreme Court Monday. The North Okanagan man, aged 42, met the complainant while the two were doing missionary...