Bailey McCourt was killed on July 4, 2025.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Bailey McCourt
July 11, 2025 - 3:41 PM
Friends and family of the woman who survived the daylight public attack in Kelowna last week are raising money for her recovery and to fight to change the laws around domestic violence in B.C.
Carrie Wiebe was also attacked and seriously injured when James Plover allegedly killed her work colleague and his ex-wife, Bailey McCourt. The attack happened on Enterprise Way in broad daylight on July 4.
Conrad Helman has organized an online fundraiser that has collected more than $7,000 to help Wiebe.
“Carrie was in serious condition and now has a long and rough road ahead in her recovery. Both physically and certainly mentally. Any money raised will be going directly to Carrie and her family for any and all expenses related to her recovery,” Helman wrote on the fundraiser page.
Both women were taken to hospital where McCourt died of her injuries.
READ MORE: Opposition MLAs demand change after Kelowna daylight murder
“Any money raised above and beyond that will go towards helping Carrie with her new fight and goal to challenge and change the laws in British Columbia regarding domestic abuse,” Helman wrote.
Plover was convicted of four domestic violence charges the day he allegedly assaulted Wiebe and killed McCourt.
He had been let out on a $500 cash deposit and was still walking free awaiting a pre-sentencing hearing in September.
The outrage is pushing for change with members of the public, family friends and politicians seeking more protection for survivors of domestic violence.
“This was preventable. Bailey did everything right. She filed charges. She posted publicly about her fear. And still, despite convictions for choking and threatening her, he was allowed to walk free. That is a catastrophic failure of justice,” Kelowna Centre MLA Kristina Loewen said in a press release.
Leigha Jones is a friend of the McCourt family and she said there needs to be a change to how domestic violence is handled by the government.
“I'm hoping that we can all advocate for our (Members) of Parliament to advocate for this in the federal government,” she said. “I'd like to see that there's more rights for the victims, that anybody that's been charged and convicted of an aggressive offence should have very high bail settings and potentially not even be eligible for bail.”
The executive director for the Kelowna Women's Shelter Michelle Dickie said this is a critical moment to advocate for change.
"Our team at Kelowna Women’s Shelter is deeply saddened by the recent tragedy in Kelowna, where a local mother lost her life to domestic abuse. Our thoughts are with the family, friends and our Okanagan community who are all mourning this devastating loss," Dickie said in an email. "Now more than ever, we must raise awareness and advocate for change. Domestic abuse is not a private issue; it is a community issue that needs collective effort to create lasting change."
A separate fundraiser to help McCourt's father Shane McCourt and her two daughters has reached $64,000.
"As you can imagine, Shane is completely heartbroken. He is now stepping into a new role — first and foremost is making sure his granddaughters are taken care of while navigating grief, legal challenges, and an overwhelming financial burden. He will be missing work for the foreseeable future, all while managing funeral costs, household expenses, and the emotional weight of this unimaginable loss," Tamara Bridal wrote on that fundraiser page.
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