Kelowna Bylaw officers stand at the homeless camp days after the incident.

Image Credit: Carli Berry

A 32-year-old Okanagan man who drove his truck through a Kelowna homeless camp flattening a tent and pinning a 50-year-old man underneath his vehicle had been drinking heavily and likely snorted cocaine in a strip club just beforehand.

That's contrary to what Tyler Grant Manchur told Castanet two days after the high-profile incident in September 2022. The event frightened many in the homeless community who believed it may have been deliberate.

In the media interview, Manchur said he'd been to the Liquid Zoo nightclub, but claimed he'd only been out for a couple of hours and must have been drugged.

However, today, Jan. 9, in a Kelowna courtroom Crown prosecutor Miho Ogi-Harris said the day after Manchur's media interview the RCMP obtained CCTV footage from inside the Liquid Zoo club, which showed he was there for nearly three hours.

"The accused consumed approximately 11 ounces of liquor, four beers, and... inhaled an unknown substance into his right nostril," the Crown prosecutor told the court.

He then got into his 2019 Dodge Ram 1500 truck and at about 2 a.m. crashed through a chainlink fence at Ethel Street driving through the homeless camp along the Okanagan Rail Trail.

The court heard how when police arrived they found 50-year-old Jeffery O'Claire trapped under the vehicle and a group of people yelling and surrounding the truck.

Bits of tents were stuck to the bottom of the vehicle and O'Claire, while conscience, was having trouble breathing.

Police noticed Manchur's eyes were glassy and he smelt of alcohol. He blew a breathalyzer sample twice over the legal limit and told the officer he was sorry.

The court heard how O'Claire spent two months in hospital recovering from his injuries. He died less than a year later from an unrelated cause.

While the crash caused shockwaves through Kelowna's homeless community, and those living in the city-sanctioned encampment, there was nothing presented to the court to suggest Manchur had targeted the camp.

The court heard how the 32-year-old had three children and had separated from his wife. He lived in the Okanagan but spent a lot of time in Alberta where he was from.

He worked for his family's business and parents sat with him in the courtroom. His dad is a former RCMP officer. Manchur had a stable upbringing and was diagnosed with Asperger's and Tourette syndrome at a young age.

The court heard how Manchur had previously been caught drunk driving in Alberta and refused to give a breath sample. He'd been fined $1,500 and later breached his probation.

Defence lawyer Kevin Westell said his client had stopped drinking one month ago and was now sober.

The court heard how Manchur took full responsibility for what happened and was remorseful.

However, the Crown pointed out that he'd told a psychologist he didn't understand how he got so drunk and must have been drugged.

The defence lawyer reiterated that Manchur took full responsibility and had pleaded guilty.

Concerns were raised that the court proceedings may have taken too long which possibly broke the Jordan rule – whereby an accused has the right to a trial within 18 months or the case can be tossed.

Defence didn't proceed along these lines and instead submitted a joint submission with the Crown.

The lawyers are asking for house arrest for 22 months, although Manchur would be allowed to go to work, followed by three years probation and a five-year driving ban. He'll also have to pay a $1,500 fine.

While the judge will almost certainly accept the proposed sentence they said they didn't have time to review the details and adjourned the case for a later day.

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