The death of an East Vancouver man may have been a case of mistaken identity, a Vancouver Provincial Court judge heard Aug. 28.
Jeff Arnie Lincoln of Vancouver has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the August 2021 death of Gilles Hebert, 60, in Grandview Park. He's now awaiting sentencing in Vancouver Provincial Court.
Lincoln was arrested on New Year's Eve of that year following a five-month-long VPD investigation. He pleaded guilty in December 2022.
He appeared in court Aug. 28 for the start of sentencing submissions. The plan had been for the hearing of some evidence — possibly some from Lincoln — before lawyers began argument on sentencing itself.
However, defence lawyer Glen Orris told the court he wished to make some change to the agreed statement of facts.
When Hebert approached the park, Lincoln was sitting under a canopy in the park.
Orris said Lincoln’s partner yelled at Hebert to get out of the park. He said Lincoln then put on gloves and punched Hebert.
The lawyer said Lincoln had been told that a man in the park had been aggressive toward an older woman and exposed himself in the park.
Orris said Lincoln’s partner believed Hebert was that man.
“Whether she identified the right person or not, we don’t know,” Orris said.
“Mr. Lincoln by his guilty plea has taken responsibility for Mr. Hebert,” Orris said.
The case will resume Aug. 29 for sentencing submissions.
Grandview Park
It was Aug. 5, 2021 when officers responded to Grandview Park on Commercial Drive for reports of an assault in progress.
An unknown person assaulted Hebert, leaving him unconscious. He died in hospital later that day.
Homicide investigators identified a suspect and spent months gathering evidence before making the arrest.
In an appeal for witnesses the day after Herbert’s death, VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin said possible witnesses “may not have realized the severity of the assault.”
An obituary in the Winnipeg Free Press described Hebert as a gentle soul and a pillar of his community.
He was a volunteer at Britannia Community Centre and was known as a craftsman who loved sculpting stone and wood and did carpentry work.
