A man accused of pulling a knife on the manager of a Kamloops clothing store and threatening to “slice” her will spend the foreseeable future in a jail cell despite fears he may fall prey to other prisoners.
Robert Rennie is facing one count each of uttering threats and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
The 28-year-old was arrested and charged following an alleged incident at the Winners Homesense store on Columbia Street on Wednesday.
He appeared in court Friday for a bail hearing.
Crown article student Danika Heighes said Rennie visited Winners just before 1 p.m., dropping off his backpack with the manager has he walked into the store.
The manager, court heard, recognized Rennie and asked her staff to keep an eye on him. Heighes said the manager suspected Rennie had previously taken items into a change room to remove security tags.
When Rennie approached the change rooms on Wednesday, Heighes said, the manager asked him to leave.
“He pulled a knife out of his pocket and switched it open,” Heighes said. “He told her to stay back or he was going to slice her.”
Court heard Rennie then fled the store. He was arrested a short time later on foot near Superstore.
Defence lawyer Murray Armstrong said Rennie, who has a lengthy criminal history with six convictions for violent crimes, has enemies at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre after it became known he offered information to police a year ago.
Kamloops provincial court Judge Roy Dickey denied Rennie’s bail application.
He will return to court on May 2.
