Osoyoos gun smuggler still challenging courts

PENTICTON — A man convicted of attempting to smuggle two handguns into Canada from the U.S. continued his attempts to thwart the jurisdiction of the courts, Friday.

Senk’lip, charged under the name Alex Louie, but referred to throughout proceedings by the name of his choosing, represented himself in a five-day trial in October 2017 — where a Penticton jury was quick to convict him of nine charges related to an attempt to smuggle two handguns across the Canada-U.S. border in Osoyoos.

The hearing was a procedural one, scheduled to set a future date for Senk'lip to be sentenced. However, as has been typical with Senk’lip’s past court appearances, proceedings did not go smoothly.

Senk’lip appeared via telephone in B.C. Supreme Court Friday joined by Crown counsel Clarke Burnett and an amicus curiae, or an impartial adviser to the courts, Irene Kiapilanoq.

Justice Arne Silverman was quick to eject her from the teleconference hearing after she failed to follow his instructions and continued to speak over him.

“I’m not going to allow Irene to be the (adviser). The fact that she is obviously not a lawyer is a factor. Although I still might well have permitted her to do it, it’s clear she’s associated to this sovereign man stuff. So that’s one of the reasons,” Silverman said, adding the other reason being she would not allow proceedings to go forward by continually speaking over him.

Senk’lip continued to make arguments he has repeated throughout his trial and in previous court hearings.

The self-described North American Indian claims to have a trademark and copyright on the name Alex Louie, and argued at trial that his status allows him to cross international boundaries where and when he chooses.

He also repeatedly challenged that the court had no jurisdiction over him as his people did not sign a treaty with Canada.

“I am not a person. That is a defamation of character and that is labeling, which is fraud,” Senk’lip told Justice Silverman.

Two of the nine convictions Senk’lip was convicted of carry a mandatory minimum of three years in prison.

Silverman also cautioned Senk’lip he may not be entitled to pre-trial enhanced credit for his time in custody since his arrest.

“That isn’t an automatic right. To the extent to which you’ve wasted the court’s time, I’ll be hearing Mr. Burnett’s submissions as to whether you’ll be getting one day per one day spent awaiting trial," Silverman said.

Border guards at the Osoyoos port of entry found two handguns tied to the bottom of Senk’lip’s car on Feb. 1, 2017 while entering Canada from the U.S.

Senk’lip returns to court March 19 for sentencing.