Elevate your local knowledge
Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!
Provincial Court
Owner of Dallas Stars found guilty of environmental charges
KAMLOOPS – Tom Gaglardi, owner of the NHL's Dallas Stars, and his company Northland Properties Corporation, were convicted Thursday morning of harmfully altering a fish habitat while constructing their family vacation home. “There was an element of wilfulness and a desire to get the job done and if necessary, seek forgiveness later,” Provincial Court Judge...
Surrey man earns jail time for packing heat in Vernon
VERNON - Packing a loaded gun at a Vernon hotel earned a Lower Mainland man four years of hard time. Jonathan Alexander Brown, 23, from Surrey, was sentenced June 4 in Vernon Provincial Court for an incident dating back to 2012. Judge Robin Smith refused a Charter challenge from Brown’s lawyer on the mandatory three-year...
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....
Murderer scheduled to make official complaint against Crown
PENTICTON — An ex-RCMP officer and convicted murderer wants a Crown prosecutor removed from his case. Appearing in Penticton Provincial court Tuesday, Keith G. Wiens said he will be filing an application to have prosecutor John Swanson removed from the case, citing a conflict of interest.' Swanson didn't prosecute the murder trial; he's prosecuting Wiens...
Two locals to receive Order of B.C.
KAMLOOPS - Two local men will be among the 25 British Columbians to be appointed to the Order of B.C. this year. Roger Barnsley and Hon. Leonard Marchand are among those who will receive the award, given to people who have contributed to the province in extraordinary ways. Barnsley, as president of the University College...
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...
Bond to serve jail sentence in community for grow op
PENTICTON — A Princeton man will serve a conditional jail sentence for a 'highly-sophisticated' marijuana grow operation he ran on his property for three years. James Bond, 48, pleaded guilty to charges of producing marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.In Penticton Provincial court today, Judge Meg Shaw ordered Bond to serve an 18-month conditional jail...
Rocks, socks and sentencing
PENTICTON — A young Penticton man will face a couple years in a jail for creating a weapon out of socks and rocks. Anthony Leonard Donald Samuelson was found guilty of aggravated assault and assault with a weapon during trial. He pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching probation. Samuelson, 20, has been in custody...
This judge means business
PENTICTON — A Penticton Provincial judge laid into an offender for not following the rules of his conditional sentence. Judge Gregory Koturbash was stern as he spoke to Kevin Forgaard, who was under house arrest for a break and enter offense last year. A condition of the sentence was that he not leave the confines...