A woman has been charged with manslaughter two months after a 28-year-old victim died of injuries caused by a fight outside a Vancouver nightclub.
Lauren Lindsay McLellan died in hospital on Aug. 11 after a fight that started in Caprice nightclub on Granville Street spilled out onto the sidewalk.
On Friday, Vancouver police charged 29-year-old Samantha Nadine Doolan with manslaughter in the case.
Vancouver police say the victim and woman charged were not known to each other before the assault, which started as a verbal altercation inside the club.
Although police aren't saying exactly what caused the fight, Sgt. Brian Montague said that "often we will see in bars trivial matters that get out of control."
As the fight heated up, everyone involved was asked to leave the club. Once outside, McLellan was physically attacked, police said.
The assault continued until the attacker was pulled off McLellan by the club's bouncers.
Police were told that the attacker and another woman had left the club in a cab. Half an hour later, Doolan and a second woman were arrested as they exited the taxi in Gastown.
The women were taken into custody and questioned, but were released pending further investigation.
Doolan was arrested again on Friday morning, more than two months after McLellan died.
The second woman was not arrested, and police said they do not expect to lay any more charges in the case. The evidence gathered during the investigation -- including witness statements, videos, cellphone photos, the coroner's report and an autopsy – only supported charges against one person, Montague said.
When questioned about the delay in charges, he told media gathered at police headquarters that the cause of death was not immediately apparent. Officials needed to investigate whether McLellan had any underlying medical issues, and that they were charging the right person, with evidence to support the charges, he said.
"On the surface it seemed like a very simple case, but this isn't television…and unfortunately these things take time."
