Man sentenced for using baseball bat to assault woman
Patrick Burns was sentenced on January 7th for ‘assault with a weapon.' He hit a woman with a baseball bat after she had returned from a trip to Fort St. John.
Bob Mackin, Prince George Citizen,'s Latest Articles
Family feud over Fort St. John farm winds up in court
Cameo Farms, owned by Laurie Jean Baptist, sued Janet Kelly Baldwin and Paul Williams, who had occupied the farm since Baptist's and Baldwin's mother's death in 2015.
Man, 67, jailed for more than four years for sexual offences against girl, 16
The man, who was previously convicted of the 2021 sexual offences, was sentenced on December 5th by BC Supreme Court Justice Michael Brundrett.
Court awards $21.6M in lost profit to company behind Dawson Creek grain elevator
Louis Dreyfus Company, which owned a Dawson Creek grain elevator, sued Canadian National Railway (CN) after the Canadian Transportation Agency decided CN failed to meet its obligations around transporting grain.
New trial ordered for man accused of illegally hunting thinhorn sheep
A judge in Fort Nelson has decided to overturn the conviction of James Dylan Massey, who is accused of hunting a thinhorn ram mountain sheep in 2022 outside of open season.
New trial ordered for man in sexual assault case
William Frederic Townsend, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in 2019 near Moberly Lake, will get a new trial after the BC Court of Appeal overturned his conviction on December 22nd.
Appeal court dismisses bail application by Fort St. John veterinarian jailed for sexual assault
Justice Janet Winteringham dismissed a bail application by Fort St. John veterinarian Justin Sewell, who pleaded guilty to sexual assault in 2022.
Hunter not guilty of violating judge’s order files defamation lawsuit
BND Productions owner Richard Dawson Smith has filed the defamation suit against the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) and four officers.
(UPDATE) Board rules one of three Dawson Creek properties overvalued by more than a third
The Property Assessment Appeal Board reduced the property value on a Dawson Creek residence owned by David McConnell by 37 per cent in an October 17th decision.
Subcontractor liable for Alaska Highway crash only to pay cash value of trailer, judge rules
Kate Energy Holdings hired Energetic Services to haul LNG from Dawson Creek, but the vehicle and trailer crashed on the Alaska Highway during the trip. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Anita Chan ordered Energetic Services to pay the actual cash value, not the replacement value.
Supreme Court strikes ‘profoundly deficient’ lawsuit brought by Fort St. John doctor
Justice David Crerar granted the defence application to strike Dr. Qasim Hameed Afridi’s July 2020-filed lawsuit against Northern Health and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC.
Coastal GasLink pipeline protesters avoid jail time
B.C. Supreme Court’s Justice Michael Tammen ruled on October 17th that three Coastal GasLink protesters will not go to jail so long as they do not breach the pipeline’s injunction again during the next year.
Man sentenced to another year in jail in Dawson Creek firearms case
Jesse Sebastian Bujold has been sentenced after pleading guilty to occupying a vehicle knowing a firearm was present after an incident in January 2025 where shots were fired at an RCMP vehicle in Dawson Creek.
Man sentenced to two years of house arrest for possessing child pornography
Luke Warrener, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing child pornography and was sentenced to house arrest on September 18th at the Fort St. John Provincial Court.
Father acquitted after ‘applying force’ to stop daughter taking ride with potentially drunk driver
In a verdict written by Judge Darin Reeves, a father has been cleared of wrongdoing after he stopped his daughter taking a ride with a potentially drunk driver.
Man charged with murder after shooting in Dawson Creek denied bail
Nolan Douglas Schmidt, who was charged after an incident on January 19th at the Mile Zero Apartment Hotel in Dawson Creek, was denied bail during a BC Supreme Court hearing on Monday, September 15th.
Tumbler Ridge coal mine operator must pay $800k fine, board rules
Peace River Coal will have to pay a more than $800,000 fine for exceeding permitted selenium levels at its sites at the Trend Mine near Tumbler Ridge after its appeal was dismissed by the Environmental Appeal Board.
Fort St. John apartment maintenance workers denied union certification by Labour Relations Board
Two Fort St. John apartment maintenance workers have been denied certification with the Construction, Maintenance and Allied Workers Canada union by the Labour Relations Board.
No enhanced ICBC compensation for injured van passenger after Tomslake crash, tribunal rules
A van passenger who was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash near Tomslake in 2021 is not entitled to further compensation from ICBC, the Civil Resolution Tribunal has ruled.
Tribunal refuses ‘largely pointless’ bid to spike Dawson Creek Volleyball Club board, but orders bylaws revote
The Dawson Creek Volleyball Club (DCVC) must vote again on bylaw amendments after a B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal ruled the initial ballots were invalid.
