The suspect in an arson case connected to a Coldstream house fire will stand trial next spring.
Matthew Eric Mason of Vernon is charged with arson in relation to a fire that destroyed a home on Hawthorne Place Jan. 14, 2022.
Mason’s trial will begin March 25, 2024, confirmed Dan McLaughlin, communications counsel for the BC Prosecution Service.
The BC Supreme Court trial will span seven days.
Court documents show there will be a pre-trial conference on Jan. 17, 2024. That will be Mason’s next appearance in court.
Mason, born in 1983, will be tried by judge and jury. He originally elected to be tried by judge alone but changed his mind at a Vernon court hearing on May 2.
Mason also faces a charge of a breach of release order. He was previously convicted of criminal harassment related to an incident that took place Nov. 5, 2021.
The Hawthorne Place home was completely destroyed by the blaze. All occupants of the home were accounted for and no injuries were reported at the time of the incident.
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