Assault suspect arrested and sentenced within two days

RCMP say a man who committed an assault at a Kelowna shelter received swift justice.

Jonathan Staniforth was arrested on Jan. 17, 2023 after police say he punched and kicked a man working at the outdoor shelter site off the Rail Trail.

The suspect, who was an overnight shelter occupant, was said to have punched and kicked his victim several times before being persuaded away by others.

The next day, Jan. 18, Staniforth pled guilty to the assault in court and was immediately sentenced to six months in jail.

Staniforth was also ordered to serve one year of probation after his jail term along with conditions to protect the victim

“We take every incident of assault seriously, and want to ensure everyone has a safe place to work and live,” Staff Sergeant Brendan Dolan, a watch commander, said. “This is a case of a repeat violent offender inflicting harm and violence towards a community member and it will not be tolerated.”

Dolan said there was strong collaboration between investigators and local prosecutors to resolve the matter quickly and appropriately.

“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,” Dolan remarked.