Special prosecutor appointed and charges announced related to incident at premier's home
3 people charged with mischief in connection with disruptions at the premier's private residence on Feb. 18
Almost three months after a special prosecutor was appointed to deal with allegations of mischief and trespass at the home of Premier John Horgan, the B.C. Prosecution Service (BCPS) is making the appointment public and announcing that charges of mischief have been approved against three people.
According to a statement issued Monday, Victoria lawyer Dirk Ryneveld was named special prosecutor in the case on March 5.
On the morning of Feb. 18, provincial budget day, activists from Extinction Rebellion's Vancouver Island group gathered outside Horgan's private residence on a dead-end street in the Victoria suburb of Langford.
The premier had already left home by the time activists arrived, but he returned out of concern for his wife. The group shouted at the premier as he left his home again around 8:30 a.m. PT.
At the time, West Shore RCMP confirmed three people were arrested for mischief.
The incident was related to protests supporting Wet'su'weten hereditary chiefs who were opposing the construction of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline through its traditional territory in northern B.C.
Charged are Howard Gerard Breen, Regine Monika Klein and Mark William Nykanen. The trio is scheduled to appear in Colwood Provincial Court on July 15.
According to the statement from the BCPS, the announcement of Ryneveld's appointment was postponed pending completion of the investigation and the approval of charges.
With files from CBC's Elizabeth McArthur