Appeal court dismisses bail application by Fort St. John veterinarian jailed for sexual assault

FORT ST JOHN, B.C. — A Fort St. John veterinarian convicted of sexual assault has his bail application dismissed by the B.C. Court of Appeal.

Justin Donald Sewell pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault, unlawfully recording intimate images and voyeurism in November 2022 and was sentenced last April to two years less a day of house arrest.

In 2007, while his wife and children were away, Sewell spiked a woman’s drink, sexually assaulted her and took photos of her naked body.

He told the court he had an addiction to pornography.

The woman reported the incident to police in 2019. In 2021, with the assistance of detectives, she recorded a meeting with Sewell at a restaurant in Vancouver International Airport where he confessed.

On October 14th, an appeal court tribunal agreed with the Crown that Sewell’s initial sentence was too light and substituted a new sentence of 33 months, less a day, in jail.

Sewell applied to appeal his sentence to the Supreme Court of Canada on October 27th. He also sought bail, claiming he satisfied the requirements, including compliance with bail conditions and a conditional sentence order and he has no prior criminal history.

The Crown opposed the application because it argued Sewell failed to establish his detention is not necessary for the public interest.

In her ruling on November 19th, Justice Janet Winteringham said Sewell does not present a flight risk or risk to public safety, but the offence he committed is very serious.

“Involving, as the judge put it, ‘invasive, violative and demeaning sexual conduct’ with devastating effect on the victim and her entire family,” Winteringham wrote.

Winteringham decided public confidence in the justice system would be undermined by releasing Sewell on bail.