Man convicted of violent sexual assault can stay out on bail

A West Kelowna man convicted of a violent sexual assault can stay out on bail while he seeks to appeal his conviction to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Jeremy Robert Czechowski was sentenced to five years in jail after being convicted in 2018 of sexual assault causing bodily harm, unlawful confinement, choking with intent to enable himself to commit an indictable offence, and uttering threats. The charges stem from an assault in February 2016.

While on bail awaiting the results of his appeal, Czechowski’s release terms were toughened up in August after he was charged with uttering threats in another incident.

His appeal in the sexual assault case was turned down on Oct. 13.

In BC Court of Appeal in Vancouver on Jan. 8, Madam Justice Mary E. Saunders said Czechowski met three conditions necessary to be awarded bail — that his appeal was not frivolous, that he would surrender himself into custody under the terms of his release order and that his detention is not necessary in the public interest.

Saunders said the third condition was the difficult one.

“I recognize that the offences of which the applicant has been convicted are ones of serious interference with a person. Yet the seriousness of an offence does not preclude bail.

“The applicant has met the requirement of demonstrating that his detention pending determination of his application to the Supreme Court of Canada is not necessary in the public interest, provided that the public safety concerns may be addressed through restrictive terms similar to those imposed by Justice Butler (in August),” she said in a decision posted online Jan. 14.