Port Alberni Crown counsel has stayed a second-degree murder charge against a local man following autopsy results on the man he was accused killing.
James Wilson Robert appeared in Port Alberni provincial court before Judge T. Dohm on Wednesday morning to face charges that the RCMP recommended on Saturday.
Police alleged that Robert assaulted Darrel Andow on Tuesday March 29, and that Andow subsequently died of his injuries on April 1.
“The available evidence indicated that the cause of death wasn’t related to the alleged injuries he (Andow) received last week,” criminal justice communications counsel Neil MacKenzie said.
A cause of death has been determined, but MacKenzie wasn’t at liberty to say what that was.
An original charge of assault causing bodily harm against Robert was earlier stayed by Crown.
“There isn’t sufficient evidence to support that (assault) charge against Robert,” MacKenzie said.
Robert also faced other charges of assault, breach of undertaking and two breach of probation charges in a matter unrelated to Andow’s death.
He was subsequently sentenced to 113 days in jail for the assault and 30 days in jail for the breach charges.
reporter@albernivalleynews.com