Man caught on camera trying to set fire in B.C. forest out of jail after being sentenced
A British Columbia man who was seen by witnesses and caught on camera trying to light a fire in a forest during a particularly bad wildfire season has been released from jail following sentencing.
Stephen Leader pleaded guilty last week to one count of intending to cause an explosion resulting in harm, reported Castanet.net.
The charge stemmed from an incident on July 10, 2021, in which he was seen lighting a fire in a forest bordering a residential area of West Kelowna.
At that time, the province and particularly B.C.'s Interior was weeks into what was one of the most destructive wildfire seasons. The fire he'd tried to set was days after a record-breaking heat wave that led to hundreds of deaths and left conditions tinder dry in many areas.
He'd been charged with four other offences, but the Crown agreed to stay those charges in exchange for his plea, Castanet reported.
The 37-year-old, who's been in jail since last August, was released after learning his sentence last week. A judge ordered him to serve a 223-day conditional sentence, followed by three years' probation. For about half of his conditional sentence, he'll be living in a recovery house in Abbotsford under 24-hour house arrest. When he is allowed to leave, he'll be under a curfew.
He's also subject to conditions including that he must complete treatment and can't have alcohol or go into bars and liquor stores.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.