UPDATE: 2.10 p.m.
A Southeast District RCMP police officer was found not guilty of sexual assault after the Crown proposed his acquittal Thursday morning.
On the third day of a four-day trial, Mountie Chad Vance was acquitted of the sexual assault charges.
Judge Roy Dickey returned at 2 p.m. and delivered his verdict in the brief three-minute appearance.
Chad Vance, a @SoutheastRCMP Mountie, has been found not guilty of sexual assault.
The verdict came after the Crown invited an acquittal this morning, citing the alleged victim’s testimony of weakness in terms of credibility and reliability. https://t.co/Efr5e05dyM
– Michael Rodriguez (@MichaelRdrguez) February 18, 2021
Dickey said he identified the same weaknesses in the alleged victim’s testimony as both the Crown and the Defense. Although Dickey did not agree with all of the defense’s arguments, he agreed that the Crown’s evidence was insufficiently substantive to convict.
Vance is slated for an April RCMP hearing that may have to be removed from the force. He faces seven allegations in violation of Section 7.1 of the RCMP Code of Conduct, which requires that “Members behave in ways that are unlikely to discredit the armed forces”. It is unclear how his acquittal will affect the hearing. In the meantime, he remains on an unpaid suspension.
ORIGINAL STORY:
After two days of trial, the Crown is inviting an acquittal of an RCMP police officer from the Southeast District charged with sexual assault, the court heard on Thursday morning (February 18).
Allegations against Chad Vance, 50, were outlined by the alleged victim in court earlier this week. She alleged Vance anally raped her on the porch of his Kelowna home while she was tanning in July 2015.
Through cross-examination Tuesday, defense attorney Trevor Martin put her on the timeline, revealing several inconsistencies regarding certain dates that the woman could not recall due to the alleged crime six years ago.
READ MORE: Kelowna Mountie Denies Rape Allegation
Crown Attorney Timothy McKelvey said the alleged victim’s cross-examination revealed several weaknesses related to her credibility and reliability. As such, he said the likelihood of conviction was slim and the fee standard was no longer being met. McKelvey added that Vance’s evidence remained consistent throughout the interview.
Given that the burden of proof has not been met, both lawyers are now proposing to acquit Vance.
On Wednesday, Vance flatly denied raping the woman.
The judge still has to consider all evidence presented in the trial, despite the recommendation of both parties, and is expected to return with his judgment at 2pm
Do you have anything to add to this story or anything else we should cover? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
@ Michaelrdrguez
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