Last week, three local people were found guilty in a beating that sent a 28-year-old woman to Sechelt hospital in November 2022. On Oct. 11 in Sechelt Provincial Court, Justice Joan Challenger delivered the verdicts to Olivia Earhart, Christopher Fawkes and Natalie Joe, based on a trial held July 15 to 18. Sentencing will come following pre-sentencing reports, which are expected to take six to eight weeks to be completed.
Fawkes was found guilty of assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Earhart was convicted of complicity in assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Joe was convicted of complicity in assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm.
Co-accused Lukas Kenworthy was found not guilty of three assault-related charges in the incident.
Firearm charges were dropped against Fawkes and Earhart.
Testimony at trial
The incident involved a number of people who were, at the time, part of the street drug use community in Sechelt and followed the overdose death of a person identified in the judgment as RR, who was also involved with that group. The written judgment, read by Challenger detailed that testimony was given that RR was the boyfriend of the victim (identified as CA) and that the accused and two others not involved in this proceeding held CA responsible for RR’s death. The four accused (Fawkes, Earhart, Joe and Kenworthy) met on Nov. 19, 2022 and allegedly devised a plan to seek retribution, the judgment said.
That evening CA, who admitted to smoking heroin throughout the day, was taken to a site off Dusty Road in Sechelt near the Coast Gravity Park. The judgment detailed that CA testified that Joe confronted her about the death of RR and that she was ordered to get down on her knees on the ground.
Earhart was “brandishing” a length of pipe and CA was struck on the back of the neck with that type of weapon, according to the judgment.
The decision detailed that Fawkes threatened CA and put a knife to her throat and she was later “slashed” on the forehead.
The victim’s testimony was that Joe punched her in the nose.
CA attested she was then chased from the site of the attack by individuals who she could not clearly identify in the darkness, except for Earhart, who was distinguishable by her small stature and the clothing the victim saw her wearing during the attack that day. One who gave chase, she said was brandishing a “pointed item” that could have been a knife.
CA ended her flight at the residence (a converted Sea Can) of an individual identified as AH, who was a security person for Coast Gravity Park. He testified he discovered her in his bed with her face so bloodied he thought she was wearing face paint. His statement was that he transported her to a point where BC Emergency Health Services could take her to the hospital.
Challenger, who appeared via video link, said she accepted the evidence provided by CA at trial as “truthful… she did not exaggerate or embellish.” She stated she found AH’s testimony to be “credible and reliable.”
Challenger took about 45 minutes to complete reading her written verdict to those assembled in the courtroom which included about eight individuals in addition to the accused. Crown counsel advised the court that the complainant was not present in the courtroom but that members of her family were.
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