UPDATE March 3
The B.C. Prosecution Service has confirmed Curtis Sagmoen will be sentenced on April 17 at 10 a.m in B.C. Supreme Court in Vernon.
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UPDATE 11:15 a.m.
Curtis Sagmoen and his lawyer were both no-shows in B.C Supreme Court in Vernon this morning for his court appearance.
The court was looking to set April 17, 2020 as his sentencing date for assault causing bodily harm, but instead it was put over until Tuesday (Mar. 3) to confirm the date.
“Miss (Lisa Jean) Helps should have known to appear. I don’t know why she didn’t,” the Crown counsel lawyer told justice Allan Betton.
Helps, a Vancouver lawyer, was expected to appear by phone.
Betton noted the non-appearance and adjourned an application for a warrant, setting the case over to 2 p.m. March 3 to set the date.
The 39-year-old Sagmoen was convicted of the charge last month after he ran into a sex trade worker with his ATV at high speed in August 2017, causing several injuries to her.
About two dozen people carried signs and protested violence against women outside the courthouse Monday.
Many of them also came inside for the court proceedings, but left when they found out it was just to set a date for sentencing.
“The judge said this was the date for Sagmoen’s sentencing,” shouted out one person, leading Betton to caution the person to remain quiet in the court or he could have them removed.
Later on, when the demonstrators had moved back outside onto the courthouse steps, you could hear their chants in the court room.
“Those outside protesting are going to have to cease while court is in progress,” Betton told a sheriff, who went out to talk to the demonstrators, which appeared to end the noise.
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UPDATE 10 a.m.
About two dozen demonstrators stood on the steps of the Vernon courthouse this morning, sending a strong message against violence against women.
“Come stand. Make it known you do not tolerate violence against women with quads, guns, hammers, spike belts at the hands of a violator of vulnerable women,” said an invitation on social media ahead of the protest from advocates for missing and murdered women and girls.
The rally began prior to the court appearance of 39-year-old Curtis Sagmoen who was found guilty in B.C. Supreme Court last month of assault causing bodily harm.
During the trial, a woman in the sex trade testified she was injured after being run into at high speed by Sagmoen who was riding an ATV.
The incident took place at a property on Salmon River Road near Falkland in August 2017, a similar site to two other incidents involving sex workers Sagmoen has been convicted of since last year.
