The trial of a pair of Okanagan men facing charges related to an alleged armed robbery in Lumby proceeded in Vernon Supreme Court Friday, with one of the accused again absent.
Edward Scott Coghill and Stewart Tkachuk are on trial for the alleged robbery on Dure Meadow Road on Sept. 18, 2019.
On Friday, April 19, defence lawyers Claire Mastop and Dominique Verdurmen, and Crown counsel Brock Bellrichard, made their final arguments to Justice John Gibb-Carsley. Tkachuk was absent from court.
The RCMP issued a warrant for Tkachuk on Feb. 27, after he failed to attend his trial the day before. Having not appeared in court for closing arguments of the trial, Tkachuk is still at large, and anyone with information on the whereabouts of the 52-year-old (described as a Caucasian man with green eyes, standing five-foot-eight and weighing 161 pounds with a shaved head with tattoos on his skull and neck) is urged to contact the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP at 250-545-7171.
Both Tkachuk and Coghill are charged with break and enter to commit an indictable offence, robbery where a firearm is used, discharge of a firearm with intent to wound or disfigure, unlawfully discharging a firearm, disguising face with intent to commit offence, unlawful confinement or imprisonment, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm without licence and/or registration. Tkachuk has one additional charge, possession of a firearm contrary to an order.
On Friday, Justice Gibb-Carsley deferred making a decision on the case, and the matter will return to court on June 3, when a date will be set for the judge’s decision.
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