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Kamloops News

Probation for threatening "to shoot them... rip them apart, kill them"

DRUNK AND DISORDERLY DOESN'T BEGIN TO DESCRIBE IT

KAMLOOPS - A Cache Creek man was handed probation today after showing up to a friend's house drunk and claiming to be an Independent Soldiers gangster and threatening to kill his friend and his family, along with a cop and two jail guards.

Bradley Joseph Lawrence, 23, was found guilty of assault, assaulting a peace officer and multiple counts of uttering threats today during a Kamloops provincial court decision.
Kelvin White was asleep in his bedroom in Cache Creek when he heard yelling and screaming outside his front door on Jan. 31 of this year. When he opened the door, he found an old friend, but in an unrecognizable state.

"He punched (White) and said he was with the Independent Soldiers," Kamloops provincial court Judge Roy Dickey said.

The two got into a physical fight that ended after White hit him with a mop handle, causing Lawrence to flee. The victim testified during the trial that Lawrence later returned with a double-bladed axe and threatened to kill him and his family. The Crown did not prove the presence of an axe beyond a reasonable doubt, however, and Dickey found Lawrence not guilty of carrying a weapon for dangerous purposes.

The judge did, however, deem the rest of the Crown's case reliable including multiple witness testimonies that depicted a bizarre series of events that evening.

The police were called to White's home, and upon seeing the cops, Lawrence put his hands in the air and said he 'was done' — but he wasn't close to being done. A police officer testified that on the ride to the Ashcroft detachment, Lawrence told him he had a flesh eating disease and that he would spit in his face. He also told him he was lucky there was no shootout. He was taken into the detachment and booked into a cell without incident, but was later pepper-sprayed for making good on his promise and spitting on the cop. He also continued his violent threats, this time saying he'd not only kill the cop but two jail guards and their families. He was put on suicide watch that night.

"He said he was going to shoot them… rip them apart, kill them," Dickey said.

The defence provided no evidence during the trial, however defence lawyer Ken Tessovitch said Lawrence suffers from an undiagnosed brain injury along with diagnosed schizophrenia and is on disability funding from the government.

"He does have an alcohol drinking problem," Tessovitch said. "He's usually a very polite, well-mannered young man."

Crown prosecutor Jenny Reid sought no jail time, but a period of probation along with a no-drinking condition. Tessovitch agreed with the probation, but said a drinking ban may result in future breaches. Ultimately, Dickey sentenced Lawrence to the suspended sentence.

In addition to the mandatory conditions of a probation order, Dickey ordered Lawrence to avoid White, not leave his residence while consuming alcohol and attend counselling and a psychiatrist as directed by his probation order. He was also ordered to write apology letters to the jail guards and complete 20 community service hours by March.

To contact a reporter for this story, email: jwallace@infotelnews.ca, call: (250) 319-7494 or tweet: @jess__wallace.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013
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