Charges against a man and woman arrested in connection to a large-scale fentanyl bust last year are expected to be laid within weeks. The pair, both 28 years old, were arrested on Nov. 30 as police executed a search warrant inside an apartment unit at Library Square in North Kamloops.

In Kamloops provincial court yesterday, RCMP Const. Pete Froyland said charges are expected to be laid by early April.

Froyland was asking a judge for more time to hold on to evidence seized during the execution of the warrant.

According to Froyland, more time is needed because of the large volume of evidence and the fact a lot of it contains amounts of fentanyl.

“We have forensic evidence with the DNA laboratory and there is also firearms evidence,” Froyland said. “A lot of the material is contaminated by fentanyl.”

At the time of the bust, police said they seized “trafficking quantities” of heroin, crack cocaine and meth, as well as $40,000 in cash, drug-packaging materials and drug-consumption materials. A child under five years of age was also taken into the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

Kamloops provincial court Judge Chris Cleaveley granted Froyland two additional months to keep evidence without a charge. Typically, investigators are allowed to keep evidence for 90 days absent criminal charges. Neither of the suspects is in custody. Both are expected to make their first court appearance on April 3.

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The province is directing more potentially expensive civil litigation to its Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) to keep cases out of the courts.

Starting June 1, disputes valued at less than $5,000 will be directed to the online process. Claims including contracts, debts, personal injury, personal property and consumer issues can be directed to the CRT.

Using computers or smartphones, participants can solve issues through self-help. Those who cannot resolve a dispute can obtain an expert decision from a tribunal member. The system has been used to resolve strata disputes since July last year.

In addition to changes with the CRT, small claims court will now handle disputes ranging up to $35,000 — up from today’s $25,000. Disputes over that amount go to B.C. Supreme Court.

Overall, the changes are designed to free up court time for more serious disputes, said B.C. Attorney General Susan Anton.

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Citing an “extremely shorthanded” judiciary, a B.C. Supreme Court judge Monday urged two lawyers to attempt to complete a two-week rape trial in five days, suggesting the prosecutor not call two Crown witnesses and limit questioning of the complainant.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Peter Leask, who lives and usually sits in the Lower Mainland, also said he would rather be home than in the Interior.

“Full disclosure: I live in Vancouver,” the judge said. “Kamloops is a wonderful place, but I like sleeping in my own bed.”

The trial relates to allegations of ongoing sexual assaults of a teenaged girl by her stepfather in Adams Lake dating back to the mid-1970s.

The stepfather is facing four charges, including rape and sexual intercourse with a female under 14 years old.

Leask said there are not enough judges as it is and he could get work done in Vancouver if the Kamloops trial wrapped up sooner than planned.

“We are, I think, nine judges short, heading to a number in the 20s,” he said. “We might get some appointments this week, but it won’t help the problem.”

Part of the Crown’s case, according to prosecutor Katie Bouchard, is that the complainant was reluctant to come forward because of her stepfather’s alleged aggressive nature at home.

Leask urged Bouchard not to question the complainant on her stepfather’s temperament and questioned whether two other witnesses should even be called.

“I might be a bit stingy about you letting them just talk,” he said.

In the end, Leask agreed to hear the evidence about the accused’s temperament.

Bouchard is expected to call the two disputed witnesses.

The trial is scheduled to conclude next week.

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Charges have been stayed against a man accused of sexually abusing his stepdaughter in Adams Lake in the mid-1970s.

The man’s trial got off to a bizarre start in a Kamloops courtroom on Monday, with B.C. Supreme Court Justice Peter Leask asking the prosecutor to limit her questioning of the complainant.

Leask, who lives and usually sits in the Lower Mainland, also suggested Crown prosecutor Katie Bouchard not call two of her witnesses. At one point, he said he would rather sleep in his own bed than be in Kamloops.

Bouchard stayed the four charges against the stepfather on Tuesday morning, after a half-day of testimony from the complainant on Monday.

Bouchard told KTW the charges were stayed because the charge-assessment standard could no longer be met.

“In B.C., we employ a rigorous charge-assessment process,” she said. “We must be satisfied that there is a substantial likelihood of conviction and the prosecution must be in the public interest. This test applies at all stages of the prosecution.

Bouchard said she concluded the test was no longer met and directed the charges against the stepfather be stayed.

Monday’s bizarre remarks do not mark the first time Leask has spoken out in court. In 2007, he made a public apology after delivering an obscene observation during a criminal trial.

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The complainant in a sexual assault trial that ended abruptly this week said she feels “disgusted” after learning about bizarre comments the judge made before the hearing began.

In a Kamloops courtroom on Monday, at the trial’s outset, visiting B.C. Supreme Court Justice Peter Leask asked the prosecutor and defence lawyer to speed things up. Citing an “extremely shorthanded” judiciary, Leask urged them to conduct the trial, scheduled for two weeks, in five days, so he could get back to work in Vancouver.

“Full disclosure: I live in Vancouver,” he said. “Kamloops is a wonderful place, but I like sleeping in my own bed.”

The trial was based on historical allegations of ongoing sexual assaults. The complainant went to police in 2014, alleging six years of abuse at the hands of her stepfather in the mid-1970s, when she was between the ages of nine and 15.

The complainant, whom KTW is not naming publicly, said she only found out about the comments after reading about them online.

“I wasn’t even aware until I clicked on my Facebook and there’s a link,” she said. “I feel disgusted. Just absolutely disgusted. I was floored. I was in tears. I just couldn’t believe it. His sleeping options took priority over my sexual abuse.”

For reasons unrelated to Leask’s comments, Crown prosecutor Katie Bouchard directed a stay of proceedings in the case on Tuesday, bringing the trial to an end and allowing the complainant’s stepfather to leave the courthouse a free man.

 I was floored. I was in tears. I just couldn’t believe it. His sleeping options took priority over my sexual abuse.”

Bouchard told KTW the charges were stayed because the charge-assessment standard could no longer be met.

“In B.C., we employ a rigorous charge-assessment process,” she said.

“We must be satisfied that there is a substantial likelihood of conviction and the prosecution must be in the public interest. This test applies at all stages of the prosecution.

Bouchard said she concluded the test was no longer met and directed the charges against the stepfather be stayed.

The complainant said the process has left her with little faith in the justice system.

“Hell no,” she said. “You read stuff about it all the time, then this happens and I’m like, ‘OK. I’m one of those girls’ — women who never got heard.”

The head of the Kamloops Sexual Assault Counselling Centre has also taken issue with Leask’s comments. Agency co-ordinator Charlene Eden said she found the situation troubling.

“I’m not surprised, unfortunately, which actually saddens me, but I’m horrified,” she said. “It’s another indication of the bias of the system. Sexual assault crimes and crimes against women are the least charged in our country.”

Both the complainant and Eden said they are considering filing complaints with the Canadian Judicial Council.

“It’s too soon for me to say for sure right now,” Eden said. “As an agency, we need to look at what all the options are before we make a decision on what to do next.”

A B.C. Supreme Court spokesman has not yet replied to KTW and government officials in Victoria referred all queries to the court.

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A UBC law professor has filed a complaint with the Canadian Judicial Council about a B.C. Supreme Court judge’s remarks earlier this week at the start of a Kamloops sexual-abuse trial.

Benjamin Perrin’s complaint alleging Justice Peter Leask’s stated “trifling personal preference” to sleep in his own Lower Mainland bed rather than preside over the two-week hearing undermines the public’s confidence in the justice system.

Leask made the remarks in a Kamloops courtroom on Monday at the outset of the trial of a man accused of sexually assaulting his teenaged stepdaughter over a six-year period in the 1970s. Citing an “extremely shorthanded” judiciary, Leask urged lawyers to find a way to complete the trial in one week rather than two, suggesting the prosecutor not call two of her witnesses and limit questioning of the complainant.

“Full disclosure: I live in Vancouver,” Leask said. “Kamloops is a wonderful place, but I like sleeping in my own bed.”

Perrin has since filed a complaint with the Canadian Judicial Council. In the 14-page document, Perrin said Leask’s remarks leave him with “concerns about his stature as a justice of the superior court of my province” and predicted multiple complaints would be filed regarding the comments.

“The statement attributed to Justice Leask is at best a bad joke and at worst an indication that he was not taking his job as a judge seriously,” the complaint reads.

“It creates the perception that his desire to sleep in his own bed was more important than presiding over a sexual assault trial. In either event, the effect, which is what matters greatly, is to undermine public confidence in the administration of justice. It is this that the Canadian Judicial Council must address.”

In the complaint, Perrin urges the council to consider Leask’s remarks in the context of “widespread public interest and concern with the handling of sexual assault cases from the last 60 days,” including the resignation of former Alberta judge Robin Camp, the Globe and Mail’s Unfounded series on sexual assaults, private member’s Bill C-337, aimed at training judges to better deal with sexual assault cases, and a recent appeal allowed by the Supreme Court of Canada, based on a lower court judge’s handling of questioning during a sexual assault trial.

Camp resigned earlier this month in the wake of a recommendation from the Canadian Judicial Council that he be removed from the bench.

The council held a hearing into Camp’s remarks following a complaint about him asking why a sexual assault complainant did not keep her “knees together.”

According to Perrin, Leask’s remarks send an “odious and offensive” message and undermine his judicial independence, integrity, diligence and impartiality.

“In this case, the statement attributed to Justice Leask puts his own interests first, rather than the interests of the court,” the complaint reads.

Speaking to KTW earlier this week, the complainant in the rape trial said she felt “disgusted” after hearing about Leask’s comments. For reasons unrelated to the remarks, the charges against the stepfather were stayed by the Crown on Tuesday.

Perrin said he felt obligated to file the complaint after reading news reports about Leask’s remarks.

“I believe that allegations like this bring the administration of justice into disrepute,” he told KTW. “I’m hopeful we’ll see a prompt apology from this judge. I believe firmly in the need for accountability in these cases.”

This is not the first time a complaint has been filed with the Canadian Judicial Council regarding remarks made by Leask. In 2007, he used obscene language in an observation during a criminal trial.

Later that year, the council released a decision stating Leask’s language “was indeed improper and tarnished the reputation of the court and the judiciary . . . [and that it] was offensive, that it brought discredit on the judiciary and showed disrespect toward the court.”

Leask was told by the council at the time “that judges have an obligation to foster, at all times, respect for the public and the institution of the court.”

Now that Perrin’s complaint has been filed with the council, it will be reviewed and investigated.

If members deem it appropriate, it will move to a hearing.

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Two city firms are suing Sun Rivers’ construction arm for lack of payment and breach of trust regarding monies supposed to be set aside to pay contractors.

Statements of claim were filed in B.C. Supreme Court by Southgate Electric Ltd. and Anchor Construction Services Ltd.

The lawsuits name Sun Rivers Construction Ltd., Austrian developer Martin Zumtobel and Sun Rivers CEO Richard Siemens.

Southgate is seeking $120,000, while Anchor claims it is owed about $22,000.

Sun Rivers Construction is the builder at Sun Rivers. It partners with trade contractors and ensures adherence to style guidelines in the community built on Tk’emlups Indian Band reserve land.

Both lawsuits claim the firms did work on between nine and 16 Sun Rivers homes, but were not paid for submitted invoices. They allege breach of contract and breach of trust.

A Sun Rivers official could not be reached for comment by KTW press deadline.

The lawsuits come amid several developments at Sun Rivers, a pioneering residential development on reserve land that began two decades ago. Last year, the developer put the project up for sale, saying it needed capital.

A local businessman, Bill Amy, also could not come to an agreement to purchase the golf course and Hoodoos restaurant last year but is making another attempt through a membership-driven proposal.

Last month, the longtime head of marketing, Leslie Brochu, left Sun Rivers.

Kamloops lawyer John Drayton, who is not involved in the lawsuits, said construction firms are forced to go to court for payment of monies owed when they cannot use a builders’ lien.

That provincial legislation allows contractors who are owed payment to file a lien on a property that is placed on title. Filing a lien requires no legal expertise.

But because the underlying title at Sun Rivers is held by the federal government in trust for Tk’emlups Indian Band, a lien cannot be placed on the property.

Drayton said contractors working on a highway, for example, have the same dilemma because the underlying title is held by the federal Crown.

“Indian land is like a highway: It’s federal government property and you’re in a situation where the province as an inferior government can’t impose its liens on the federal government and affect its property rights.”

But Drayton said contractors still have ability to seek a legal remedy through another section of the Builders Lien Act. That law requires general contractors, such as Sun Rivers Construction, to hold monies in trust to pay subcontractors and suppliers first on any money it receives from the property owner. But firms must file lawsuits, in what can be a costly measure.

It is that section of the act the two firms claim Sun Rivers breached.

The claims have not been proven or heard in court. Sun Rivers will have time to file a statement of defence in B.C. Supreme Court.

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A Kamloops man arrested on Valentine’s Day with an arsenal of ninja weapons will spend the foreseeable future in jail.

Ricky Turigan was denied bail following a brief hearing in Kamloops provincial court on Friday.

Court heard the 34-year-old was arrested on an outstanding warrant on Feb. 14. The warrant had been issued after Turigan allegedly missed a meeting with his probation officer.

While police were searching Turigan, court heard, officers turned up nunchucks and a sword hidden in his jacket. Crown prosecutor Frank Caputo said Turigan was also wearing shin pads, one of which was concealing a dagger.

Police also found brass knuckles and a knife, Caputo said. Brass knuckles and nunchucks are both prohibited weapons in Canada.

Turigan has a criminal record including convictions for weapons-related and violent offences.

Kamloops provincial court Judge Stephen Harrison ordered Turigan detained. He is due back in court on April 3.

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A  provincial court judge has accepted a stay of proceedings in MiningWatch Canada’s private prosecution regarding the August 2014 Mount Polley Mine tailings-dam spill in the Cariboo.

“I am satisfied that the criminal code does give the attorney general of Canada the power to stay proceedings in relation to an accused at any time after the information is laid,” Judge Elizabeth Bayliff said this week before a Williams Lake courtroom filled with MiningWatch Canada supporters.

On Oct. 18, 2016, MiningWatch Canada’s Canadian co-ordinator Ugo Lapointe laid the private information charging Mount Polley Mining Corporation and the provincial government for offences under the Fisheries Act.

A process hearing on the prosecution was to begin on Jan. 13, with appearances by MiningWatch’s lawyer Lilina Lysenko and Public Service of Canada prosecutor Alexander Clarkson.

The process hearing was adjourned after Clarkson directed a stay of proceedings.

Outside the courtroom on Jan. 13, Clarkson said the Crown wanted to stay the proceedings because there was no reasonable prospect of conviction against the  two parties with the materials presented by the complainant.

Clarkson added it was not in the public’s interest to continue a private prosecution at this time because there is an ongoing comprehensive investigation being conducted by three different agencies — the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

“It is in the public interest that a more comprehensive investigation be completed before a criminal prosecution,” Clarkson said at the time.

After the stay was accepted on  Monday, Clarkson said he wanted to emphasize “even if the evidence that has been provided by the private informant is not sufficient, it does not mean in the future there is not going to be charges forthcoming.”

Lapointe said the Crown proceeding to stay the charges was its prerogative and “highly unusual.”

He said he would have liked  the opportunity to present evidence about the damage of the spill.

“It is important to remind British Columbians and Canadians that the Mount Polley Mine spill was the biggest spill in Canada’s history,” Lapointe said. “Almost three years later, there have been no charges, no fines or no sanctions by any level of government.”

Lapointe did not rule out appealing the decision. In the meantime, he said, the federal Crown needs to take action to enforce environmental laws.

“If the Crown is doing this now because it wants to lay its own charges, that’s fine, that would be a positive outcome,” he said.

The Conservation Officer service confirmed the three-party investigation into the breach is ongoing.

Meanwhile, the court was asked by Lysenko to consider awarding legal costs to MiningWatch.

“As you are aware, this case involves significant public interest,” Lysenko said. “It was not brought by MiningWatch or Mr. Lapointe for their own personal benefit or any personal gain. It was brought in the public interest in an attempt to ensure justice was done.”

Lysenko said by entering the stay, the attorney general demonstrated a “marked and unacceptable departure” of behaviour in legal standards.

Clarkson, disagreed, arguing it was not until Dec. 14, 2016, that he received the 876 pages of engineering and scientific reports from Lysenko, followed by an additional 27 pages on Dec. 30.

Taking 17 days to review all the materials to consider the viability of a private prosecution of “national importance,” before notifying Lysenko on Jan. 11 of his intent to direct a stay, was not marked and unacceptable behaviour, Clarkson argued.

Lysenko said there is no argument there was plenty of evidence for the attorney general to consider, but added that even though it reviewed the documents, it doesn’t change the fact it made the decision to stay the proceedings prior to receiving all evidence.

“Private prosecution has been described as a valuable constitutional safeguard against government inertia or partiality,” Lysenko said. “It’s our position that staying the private prosecution process hearing prior to having all of the evidence heard risks gutting this very important tool.”

Clarkson argued against MiningWatch being awarded costs, but told the court the attorney general was not seeking costs.

A written judgment regarding costs will be delivered by e-mail to both parties by April 26.

— Monica Lamb-Yorski, Williams Lake Tribune

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A Kamloops jury has begun hearing the case of a Lillooet man accused of breaking the skull of a drug dealer during a violent attack in 2015.

Jeffery Harris is facing one count of second-degree murder in connection to the beating death of Gary Edward Mandseth.

According to Crown prosecutor Chris Balison, Harris went to Mandseth’s house on Feb. 10, 2015, and attacked him.

“Gary Mandseth was attacked in his home,” Balison said in his opening statement yesterday to the six-man, six-woman B.C. Supreme Court jury.

“He died of his injuries. Mr. Harris, the accused, was someone Gary knew . . . and he had been to Gary’s house before.”

Balison described a violent attack at the hands of Harris.

“He used different kinds of weapons,” Balison said.

“He used a knife that created stab wounds, something that created puncture wounds and a club that fractured his skull.”

Jurors were told Harris fled police. When he was arrested, Balison said, investigators found a knife, $1,000 in cash and a brown powder believed to be illegal drugs.

Balison called the case against Harris “straightforward” and said the attack was witnessed by Mandseth’s two roommates.

Harris’ trial is scheduled to last two weeks.

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A B.C. Ambulance paramedic broke down in tears during his testimony in a Kamloops courtroom on Tuesday as he described the bloody scene he found while responding to a violent beating in Lillooet in 2015.

Jeffery Harris is standing trial before a B.C. Supreme Court jury, charged with second-degree murder. He is accused of killing Gary Edward Mandseth, who died after being beaten on Feb. 10, 2015.

Mandseth has been described by Crown prosecutor Chris Balison as a drug dealer who was attacked in his home.

Taking the witness stand on Tuesday, a pair of B.C. Ambulance paramedics described what they found after being dispatched to a call at a home on Mitchell Road.
Paramedic James Byrne said he and his partner arrived to find a severely injured man, later identified as Mandseth, being tended to on the home’s driveway by two Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police officers.
Byrne said Mandseth had a number of injuries, including stab wounds, puncture wounds, a swollen eye and a laceration on his forehead. Byrne and his partner cut Mandseth’s shirt off to better deal with the wounds.

“The stab wounds were, some of them, sucking chest wounds, which is when the wound is bubbling,” Byrne said, noting he and his partner attempted to apply dressings to the wounds. “There was so much blood they wouldn’t stick. We were trying to cover as many injury sites as we could, but there was so much blood. Nothing was sticking.”

Paramedic Mike Whitcher, Byrne’s partner, became emotional in court while describing the scene.
“There was so much blood, things just weren’t sticking,” Whitcher said through tears. “We were trying to cover up the holes, but there were so many holes.”

Court heard Mandseth lost consciousness while being loaded into ambulance at the scene. He also stopped breathing and had no pulse. Byrne said Mandseth was pronounced dead at Lillooet Hospital and Health Centre.

In his opening statement to the jury, Balison said Harris used a variety of weapons while attacking Mandseth. Jurors were also told Harris was found to be in possession of a knife, $1,000 in cash and a bag of drugs when arrested.
The trial, which began on Monday, is expected to wrap up next week.

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Highland Valley Copper has won an appeal denying a former employee a rich severance package when he retired.

The B.C. Court of Appeal overturned a lower court decision that awarded $175,000 to Albert Aubrey.

Aubrey, originally a union member, retired from the mine in 2012 after working there for 30 years. But he did not receive 18 months of severance as he believed retiring staff were due, something known as “the package.”

Teck Resources, which owns the mine near Logan Lake, held a meeting in 2007 to announce to staff it would no longer provide retirement packages. It did provide severance packages when employees were terminated during economic slowdowns.

A B.C. Supreme Court judge earlier ruled Aubrey was due the retirement package because it was an implied benefit upon retirement after leaving the protection of the union years earlier for a non-unionized position.

B.C. Court of Appeal Justice Anne MacKenzie, however, ruled the “evidence does not support Mr. Aubrey’s position that a Package payable on retirement was an express oral term of his employment contract.”

The finding of breach of contract against Highland Valley Copper was also overturned.

Highland Valley did not appeal a similar award to Martin Jylha, who had been expressly promised the package on retirement by another manager.

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A Lillooet cab driver standing trial in B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops, accused of beating to death a drug-dealing acquaintance, will return to court on Monday.

Kamloops jurors hearing the second-degree murder trial of Jeffery Harris have been stood down since Wednesday, when the Crown wrapped up its case.

Harris is accused of killing 61-year-old Gary Edward Mandseth on Feb. 10, 2015. Court has heard Mandseth was beaten and stabbed to death, suffering stab wounds, punctures and a fractured skull.

Taking the stand on Wednesday, forensic pathologist James Stephen said Mandseth had serious injuries to his heart, lungs, stomach and head.

Harris was arrested a short time after the slaying and has been in custody since.

Jurors have been told defence lawyer Donna Turko will call evidence starting on Monday, though it’s not yet known if Harris will testify.

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The Kamloops Law Courts will be open for a special evening event on Tuesday aimed at educating the public about what goes on inside the imposing brick building on Columbia Street. Law Day is an annual event that takes place each April, showcasing community organizations and providing a glimpse into the province’s justice system.

“It’s to educate the public about the legal system,” said Aachal Goundar, a Kamloops family lawyer who is chairing the board organizing the 2017 event. “I think that’s our main purpose.”

Community organizations will set up tables on the second and third floors of the Kamloops courthouse, 455 Columbia St., between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

At 5:30 p.m., an RCMP dog team is scheduled to perform a demonstration outside the building. The popular Ask a Judge event is also slated to return, with Kamloops provincial court Judge Stephen Harrison prepared to answer questions from children between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

“At 7 p.m., we have the mock trial, which is R. v. Wendy,” Goundar said, describing the Wizard of Oz-themed hearing. 

Other events include tours of the courthouse jail and a scavenger hunt. Goundar said the event helps people better understand the legal system.

“When people show up to this place, if they’ve been to an event like this, it’s less scary, less intimidating,” she said. “It’s a community event.”

For more information, search Kamloops Law Day on Facebook.

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Police are on the hunt for an armed robber who held up a Kamloops motel’s front desk on Monday night.

RCMP Cpl. Jodi Shelkie said a masked man entered the Howard Johnson Inn at 530 Columbia St. at about 10:15 p.m. and pointed a pistol at the clerk.

“The suspect went directly to the cash drawer and took some money while ordering the clerk to get into a back room,” Shelkie said. “The male then left. The clerk was not injured.”

Police couldn’t find the robber.

Shelkie said the suspect was wearing a balaclava, a black hoodie, black Adidas track pants with white stripes down the leg and carrying a dark-coloured backpack.

Anyone with information is asked to call Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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An admitted Lillooet drug dealer accused of beating and stabbing to death his business partner in 2015 has not denied his involvement in the slaying.

But, taking the stand in Kamloops in his own defence on Tuesday, Jeffery Harris said he was in a “chaotic” drug-induced blackout state when Gary Mandseth was killed.

Court has heard Mandseth died on Feb. 10, 2015, after suffering multiple injuries during an altercation at his Lillooet home. Harris was arrested by police on the outskirts of Lillooet a short time later.

Harris, 38, said he and Mandseth had partnered in the Lillooet drug trade — Madseth sold heroin and supplied Harris with cocaine, which Harris cooked into crack and resold, allowing him to buy more heroin from Mandseth.

Harris told jurors the two men would shoot up together on a daily basis, with Mandseth manning the needle.

On Feb. 10, 2015, Harris said, he went to Mandseth’s house with $1,000, with the goal of shooting up and “rebooting” his cocaine supply.

“It was just business as usual,” Harris said. “I knock on the door, he answers as usual. We end up going into the bedroom, where we normally shoot up.

“He already had the rigs ready with heroin. He would have it ready with heroin. But it wasn’t heroin.”

Harris said he could tell immediately after using that the drug was, in fact, cocaine.

“That’s when everything went sideways,” Harris said. “At that time, I don’t really know what’s real and what’s not real. It’s a very scary feeling. Your heart starts racing, you start sweating. It feels like you’re drowning.”

Harris described the feeling as “chaotic” and said he was hallucinating.

“The next thing I remember clearly is a pistol being pointed at my face,” he said. “I remember looking back over my shoulder and seeing a pistol. I realized it was a constable. I was trying to burrow under a tree and I stopped what I was doing immediately.”

Harris said there was no animosity between him and Mandseth prior to the incident.

Defence lawyer Donna Turko has told jurors she will call two experts after Harris’ evidence concludes on Wednesday — both doctors to comment on the affect of intravenous cocaine use.

Harris’ trial began on April 3. Jurors are expected to be given the Easter weekend off and begin deliberations at some point next week.

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A Kamloops fraudster who lived “a parasitic existence” for nearly two years, stealing a half-dozen identities while defrauding people and businesses out of thousands of dollars, has been handed a 30-month prison sentence.

However, because of time served behind bars since her arrest, Brandie Bloor will spend less than two years in jail.

The 40-year-old, who made headlines in 2015 after she was handed a nine-month jail sentence for bilking a senior out of $15,000 to pay for breast implants and liposuction, pleaded guilty in Kamloops provincial court on Wednesday to 13 charges.

Court heard Bloor was arrested after a traffic stop on Jan. 9, 2014, turned up a stash of suspicious cheques. That led to a search warrant being executed six weeks later at Bloor’s Brocklehurst home.

During the search, investigators seized 167 items, including two boxes containing more than 700 documents. Among them were forged cheques, identity documents and bills containing a variety of names.

Court heard Bloor kept meticulous notes about her impersonated identities and used them to buy vehicles, obtain credit, open bank accounts and pay bills.

Crown prosecutor Katie Bouchard called the deceptions “quite brazen” and described Bloor as a skilled con artist who had an answer for everything and told a compelling story.

“The investigation into these frauds and identity thefts took police over a year to complete,” Bouchard said. “It took numerous officers many months to do all the interviews and sift through the information.

“Ms. Bloor was very organized. She kept information about people’s identities in notebooks. She had a pretty complex scheme going.”

In all, Bouchard said, Bloor stole six identities.

“Ms. Bloor is very convincing and seemed believable to many of the people she dealt with,” she said. “Ms. Bloor was able to live off her fraudulent activity for a period of about 21 months. She was able to obtain frivolities, like two luxury vehicles.”

Bloor has a criminal history dating back to 2000, including more than 15 convictions for fraud-related charges.

Defence lawyer Don Campbell said Bloor was motivated by an addiction to crystal meth.

“She brought to bear a pretty keen intelligence and a system of organization,” he said. “That same intelligence will, hopefully, be her salvation when she has managed to extricate herself from both her addiction and lifestyle.”

Bloor apologized in court.

“I realized it was because of the drugs,” she said. “It’s not the person I am and it’s not the person I want to be.”

Kamloops provincial court Judge Stephen Harrison agreed to a joint submission from lawyers for a sentence of 30 months minus six months for time served.

“It’s quite a tale, this parasitic existence you were engaged in,” the judge remarked.

In addition to the time behind bars, Bloor will also spend three years on probation and surrender a sample of her DNA to a national criminal databank.

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A man accused of driving a Jeep involved in the hit-and-run death of a Kamloops teenager late last year is back behind bars after being released last month on bail.

Jason Gourlay was arrested on Vancouver Island on Tuesday and faces new charges of failure to reside as directed and failure to abide by house rules. He was residing in a drug-rehab facility, a living condition imposed when he was released on bail last month. A new bail hearing has been set for April 25.

Gourlay, 41, was already charged with failing to remain at the scene of an accident and possession of a controlled substance — namely heroin and fentanyl. He is accused of driving a vehicle that struck and killed 16-year-old Jennifer Gatey on Nov. 4, 2016, as she crossed Pacific Way near her family’s Aberdeen home.

Gourlay’s Jeep was identified as having potentially been involved in Gatey’s death within days of the hit and run. It was seized by police and forensic evidence was collected.

On March 3, police arrested Gourlay and charges were laid. Gourlay was granted bail a week later. Before being released, he was assaulted by fellow inmates at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre.

A condition of Gourlay’s $20,000 cash bail required him to live in the rehab facility in Nanaimo, after which was to live with his uncle in Maple Ridge and not operate a vehicle.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new charges against Gourley.

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A Kamloops man is standing trial in B.C. Supreme Court this week, accused of selling 14 fentanyl pills to an undercover police officer looking to score oxycontin.

Fraser Wright is facing one count of trafficking fentanyl. The 33-year-old’s trial began on Wednesday.

According to the Crown, Wright sold the pills to undercover RCMP Const. Sean Achtymichuk on Dec. 18, 2014, in the parking lot of Sahali Mall.

Achtymichuk testified on Wednesday he had been provided with a phone number and told to attempt to use it to purchase drugs.

“I was advised to try and purchase oxycontin pills,” he said. “I contacted that number via text message.”

Achtymichuk said he arranged a meeting with the person on the other end of the text-message conversation. He said he was told $200 would get him 14 pills.

The two men met in the Sahali Mall parking lot just before 5:30 p.m. Achtymichuk said he got into the passenger seat of the man’s vehicle and they exchanged greetings.

“I told him my name was Sean,” Achtymichuk said. “He then told me his name was Fraser. We shook each other’s hands as we introduced each other.”

Achtymichuk said he exchanged $200 for 14 pills.

Wright was later arrested. The pills were tested and found to contain fentanyl.

In 2013, Wright was acquitted on trafficking charges after being busted by police with $8,000 worth of cocaine and marijuana in a travel bag.

In that case, he told court he had been set up by an acquaintance.

Wright’s trial is expected to wrap up on Thursday.

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Lawyers are expected to make closing arguments to a jury on Thursday in the trial of a Lillooet drug dealer accused of murdering his business partner two years ago.

Jeffery Harris is standing trial on one count of second-degree murder. The Crown has alleged he beat and stabbed Gary Mandseth to death on Feb. 10, 2015.

Taking the stand in his own defence, Harris told jurors he was in a “chaotic,” drug-induced blackout state after Mandseth injected him with cocaine.

Harris said he and Mandseth would often shoot up heroin together, which is what he was expecting instead of cocaine. Harris said the cocaine shot made “everything go sideways” and he blacked out, only coming to minutes later with a police officer pointing a gun in his face.

Jurors also heard evidence from two expert defence witnesses. One of them, psychologist Peggy Koopman, said Harris was in a state of automatism at the time — meaning he had no control of his actions.

“My finding, based on what Mr. Harris told me, is that he was likely in a state of automatism at the time of the offence,” she said.

Jurors could begin deliberations before the weekend.

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