Guilty plea coming in case of 2016 Kelowna stabbing

Instead of going to trial this spring, a man charged in a 2016 Kelowna stabbing will be pleading guilty.

On Dec. 4, 2016, Kelowna RCMP responded to a report that a man had been stabbed and had turned up at the Chevron gas station on Harvey Avenue, seeking assistance.

“It is believed that the attack was in retaliation to an assault on a woman that allegedly took place earlier that evening in West Kelowna,” Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said at the time.

Ken Maurice Butler was arrested shortly after the stabbing in the 1300 block of Water Street and was charged with attempted murder.

The trial for attempted murder was scheduled to begin in November 2017, but a key witness could not be located in time and it was pushed back to June 11, 2018.

In court Wednesday, Crown prosecutor David Grabavac told the court he and defence counsel Cory Armour had reached a resolution and a guilty plea would be entered.

However, Grabavac did not specify to what charge Butler would be pleading guilty.

Counsel will reappear in court May 17 to lay the new information.

A sentencing date has not been set.

On Dec. 7, 2016, Butler was released on $5,000 bail with 14 conditions, including a curfew and being prohibited from the red zone in downtown Kelowna.

At 12:14 a.m. Dec. 20, 2016, an employee at the BNA pub in downtown Kelowna called police to report a customer had just failed to pay for some drinks, and he had left a debit card and a Newfoundland ID at the bar.

Police determined it was Butler, and at 12:45 a.m. officers located Butler near Bernard Avenue and Water Street and took him into custody.

Later that day, at 8:18 p.m., guards in the Kelowna RCMP detachment told police Butler had covered the cell camera and the cell he was in with toilet paper and he was yelling and screaming.

“He (was) observed by video punching and hitting a camera, and the camera (stopped) working,” Crown prosecutor Grabavac said in November 2017.

Several officers went to the cell at 9:50 p.m. and attempted to restrain Butler, who spat on one of the officers.

Butler was sentenced to a total of 45 days in prison, including 45 days for assault on the officer, 30 days for damaging the camera and 14 days for breaching the conditions of his bail.

He was then released on the prior bail.