An Oliver man will spend one more year behind bars for threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend and her friend in 2020.
Dean Roger Vanbocquestal was sentenced on April 27 for multiple charges, including assault, uttering threats and pointing a firearm, to which he pleaded guilty to on March 16.
Sentencing was delayed several times to give Vanbocquestal time to arrange his affairs.
Following his release from jail, Vanbocquestal will spend three years on probation with a 10 year firearm ban.
READ MORE: Sentencing delayed for Oliver man charged with threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend
On the evening of Aug. 7, 2020 Vanboquestal sent threatening texts to the friend his ex-girlfriend was staying with.
“When I find you, you’re both dead, see you soon,” was one of the texts read into the court record. A second text threatened to burn all of his ex-girlfriend’s property, along with an expletive directed at her friend.
At midnight, Vanbocquestal drove to one of his friend’s house, where he took his friend’s loaded rifle without permission before leaving and driving to where his ex-girlfriend was staying.
Once he arrived at the residence where his girlfriend was staying, he went to the basement door and threatened to kick it in unless he was allowed inside, as well as threatening to burn the building down and everyone inside, according to the circumstances admitted to in court.
Vanbocquestal forced his way inside, where he hit his ex-girlfriend’s friend in the face with the rifle and pointed it at the face of the home’s owner, with his finger on the trigger.
The RCMP were called, and the homeowners were willing to testify that they saw a crack pipe in Vanbocquestal’s pants, it was heard in court.
Vanbocquestal exited the home, where he shot a round from the rifle into the air, before driving away.
According to the defense, Vanbocquestal stated that he had no recollection of discharging the rifle.
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Police on route to the call, at 12:50 a.m. arrived at the scene of a single-vehicle crash where Vanbocquestal was found.
At the scene, officers described Vanboquestal as appearing sweaty, amped-up, excited and talkative, and conducted a field sobriety test. Vanbocquestal was found to have been driving under the influence of drugs. Officers also found jerry cans of gas at the scene.
A search of the scene during the day found the stolen rifle, as well as two more fuel cans.
After he was taken into custody, Vanbocquestal had been given the use of his cellphone to get access to contact numbers to give to his lawyer, which he in fact used to send texts to the friend whose rifle he had taken the night before. That same friend, as well as his ex-girlfriend, were under no-contact conditions following Vanbocquestal’s bail hearing that morning.
“…they’re not letting me out. Please put money in my account and tell [my ex-girlfriend] I love her, I won’t be out for three months and I hope she will be together when I get out, I gave her chances, please tell her to wait for me,” read one text, followed by, “Erase these texts.”
While in custody for 152 days prior to his trial, Vanboquestal completed multiple courses, including courses on living without violence and substance abuse.
The one-year sentence issued on April 27 is on top of the time served.
After being released into strict house arrest on Jan. 6, 2021, Vanbocquestal has found new work with the hope of opening up a proper storefront, the court heard.
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