North Okanagan man who didn't get jail after armed siege now charged with assault | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Current Conditions Mostly Cloudy  22.4°C

Vernon News

North Okanagan man who didn't get jail after armed siege now charged with assault

Kelly Blake Torvik
Image Credit: Facebook

A North Okanagan man who didn't get jail time after he was the centre of an armed stand-off with police that involved nearby houses being evacuated, was back in court Thursday, Jan. 23, charged with assault.

Kelly Blake Torvik, born 1985, was at the centre of a high-profile armed siege that took place at his mother's house in Coldstream in February 2018. The stand-off lasted 19 hours, and nearby properties were evacuated and streets closed as police negotiated with Torvik who had said he was armed and wanted to die. He eventually surrendered peacefully.

Torvik was sentenced in July 2018 and got no jail time, instead receiving an 18-month conditional sentence in the community with strict conditions.

Torvik was charged Jan. 15 for one count of assault. The alleged assault took place Dec. 19, 2019 and the victim does not appear to be a family member.

In March 2019, Torvik was arrested for failing to show up to a psychiatric appointment, a condition of his sentence. He was released and no action was taken for his breach.

Following the stand-off in July 2018, Torvik pled guilty to five charges, including assault with a weapon, uttering threats and using a firearm. During the sentencing, the court heard how Torvik had pushed his mother to the floor and pointed a gun at her. He'd also sent texts saying he wanted to die by police suicide. At the time of the offence, Torvik was in a drug-induced state and said he has no recollection of the events. He made an emotional apology in court and said he wanted to turn his life around.

Torvik is due back in court Feb. 6 on the assault charge.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2020
iNFOnews

  • Popular kamloops News
  • Here's what a hectare really looks like
    When we talk about the size of a forest fire, we usually talk in hectares. But just how big is a hectare anyways? The word hectare comes from the Greek word ‘hekaton’ which means
  • iN VIDEO: Robin babies squabble, bathe in Kamloops garden
    Kamloops gardener Sherry Bennett designed her yard to support and nurture bugs and wildlife, and this spring a pair of robins moved in to raise their young. Last week, she captured footage o
  • Suspension for BC lawyer who punched 80-year-old in the face
    A BC lawyer who punched an 80-year-old man in the face has been suspended for one month. According to a June 9 BC Law Society decision, lawyer Jason Edward Harp got into a dispute with the 8
  • New campaign encourages B.C. to 'squeal' on invasive pigs
    British Columbia's Invasive Species Council says the province needs to get ahead of the potential risk of feral pigs before they gain a foothold the way they have elsewhere in Canada. Executive Dire
  • Summerland high school teacher charged with voyeurism
    A Summerland secondary school teacher has been charged with voyeurism. Taylor Paul Holubetz was supposed to turn up for his first court appearance Wednesday, May 14 in Penticton. The c
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile