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Quick trip through the justice system for Kelowna shelter attacker

‘It is rare for this type of sentence to be delivered so swiftly’
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Johnathan Staniforth. (Photo/Kelowna RCMP)

A man has been sentenced after an attack on a worker at the city’s Outdoor Shelter Site at Weddell Place and Richter Street in Kelowna.

On January 17th, 2023, at approximately 8:00 a.m., the worker was assaulted by one of the overnight occupants, according to police. The man punched and kicked his victim several times.

Police say Jonathan Staniforth was arrested for assault.

“We take every incident of assault seriously, and want to ensure everyone has a safe place to work and live,” says Staff Sgt. Brendan Dolan, Kelowna RCMP.

“This is a case of a repeat violent offender inflicting harm and violence towards a community member and it will not be tolerated.”

RCMP says Staniforth pled guilty to the assault and was sentenced to six months in jail.

Following the sentence, he will serve a year of probation with conditions to further protect the victim.

“There was strong collaboration between investigators and our local prosecutors to resolve this matter quickly and appropriately,” said Dolan.

“It is rare for this type of sentence to be delivered so swiftly, however, it’s perhaps a promising sign that the provincial and national changes that are required to address repeat offending and violent attacks are relevant considerations for today in our justice system. Everyone deserves to be safe and feel safe in our communities.”

READ MORE: Dangerous, violent offender may be in Kelowna


@GaryBarnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com

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Gary Barnes

About the Author: Gary Barnes

Recently joined Kelowna Capital News and WestK News as a multimedia journalist in January 2022. With almost 30 years of experience in news reporting and radio broadcasting...
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