Convicted of aggravated assault

A man caught by police hiding in a chicken coop following a stabbing 18 months ago on a Summerland orchard has been convicted of aggravated assault.

Joshua James Doell was found guilty of the offence June 8 in provincial court in Penticton following a three-day trial.

Judge Meg Shaw recounted in her decision how Doell and the victim, whom The Herald has decided not to name, were drunk and tooling around in a truck on the orchard on Nov. 18, 2015, when Doell struck without provocation.

The victim, who was 32 at the time, testified the then-40-year-old Doell turned in his seat and punched him several times in the face, then pinned him face down and stabbed him in the back with a chef’s knife.

After five to 10 minutes, Doell let the victim get up. The victim punched Doell once in the face and took off running towards Highway 97.

“He attempted to flag cars down to seek help. A passer-by did stop and called 911, but didn’t allow (the victim) to get into the vehicle,” Shaw said.

“The police arrived and found (the victim) on the highway.”

Injuries to the victim included fractured facial bones and four stab wounds, one of which required stitches to close. Doell was found by police hiding in a chicken coop in a barn on the orchard. He had no visible injuries.

He testified the victim started roughhousing, as was common between the two friends, before the violence escalated. He told the court he merely held the knife to the victim’s back and the victim’s thrashing resulted in the stab wounds.

Shaw dismissed Doell’s assertion the fight was consensual, because he used a knife, also rejected his claim of self-defence, since his actions were “completely out of proportion to the threat.”

“I do not find the version of events purported by Doell to be credible,” said Shaw.

A date for Doell’s sentencing is expected to be set today. Aggravated assault carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

Doell’s criminal record includes a December 2015 conviction for assault, which resulted in a sentence of one year of probation.