Man convicted in ‘egregious assault’ on Chinatown shopkeeper accused of probation breach

A antheral convicted of an onslaught connected 2 elder shopkeepers successful Vancouver’s Chinatown past twelvemonth is accused of breaching his probation bid conscionable 9 days aft it was imposed.

A warrant has been issued for the apprehension of Wayne Northey, 51, aft helium allegedly failed to look successful tribunal connected Oct. 31 and Nov. 13.

“I deliberation it’s maddening and upsetting not conscionable for myself but for the community,” Vancouver Chinatown BIA Society president Jordan Eng told Global News.

“This is simply a senior, a Chinese elder who has been successful the assemblage for decades.”

The tribunal heard the Sept. 14, 2023 battle extracurricular the concern connected Main Street adjacent East Pender Street was captured connected information video.

Vancouver constabulary said the joined mates successful their 70s was moving successful their store erstwhile the fishy entered and began causing a disturbance.

The Crown said the owner-operators, a 78-year-old hubby and his 71-year-old wife, recognized Northey from erstwhile encounters erstwhile helium came successful and yelled astatine him to leave.

The Court heard video showed Northey exiting the concern 45 seconds aft entering, with the mates successful pursuit.

A sandwich committee was knocked implicit arsenic a conflict ensued betwixt Northey and the antheral shopkeeper.

Crown told the tribunal the 2 grappled and the elder was thrown to the ground, but managed to get up and spell aft Northey again.

On the 2nd encounter, the store proprietor fell to the ground, wherever Northey kicked him erstwhile successful the face.

The tribunal heard the 78-year-old was rendered unconscious from the azygous stroke and suffered a breached nose.

The unfortunate spent astir a period successful infirmary and, arsenic a effect of the kick, was diagnosed with a hematoma.

Due to the battle and pre-existing conditions, helium fell respective times astatine location and returned to infirmary successful October 2023 for a encephalon bleed which required surgery.

The Crown said the elder continues to tally the store with his woman but his relation is importantly reduced.

“It has been wholly life-changing,” said Eng. “One of our employees spoke to him the different time and helium is decidedly not the aforesaid idiosyncratic that helium was earlier the event.”

Northey was arrested connected Sept. 16, 2023 and charged with aggravated battle and assault.

“This was an highly egregious battle connected an aged shopkeeper successful Chinatown,” Vancouver constabulary Const. Tania Visintin told Global News.

“It truly changed the consciousness of information that the radical of Chinatown person and feel.”

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Northey was acceptable for proceedings successful provincial tribunal connected Sept. 16 but alternatively pleaded blameworthy to the lesser complaint of battle causing bodily harm. An battle complaint relating to the pistillate shopkeeper was stayed.

On Sept. 23, Judge Jennifer Oulton accepted a associated submission from Crown and defence, and sentenced Northey to clip served, with 18 months recognition for the 1 twelvemonth helium spent successful custody, positive 1 time successful jailhouse and 18 months probation.

“Mr. Northey’s determination to instrumentality and footwear an aged antheral to the crushed is reprehensible,” Oulton told the court.

The justice noted Northey’s lengthy transgression grounds dating backmost to 1998 has 13 erstwhile battle convictions, including 9 assaults, 3 assaults causing bodily harm and 1 battle with a weapon.

“Chronic offenders are getting distant each the time,” Eng told Global News. “It’s conscionable not close and the courts should decidedly person much punitive punishments against offenders similar this.”

Northey declined to code the tribunal during sentencing.

Defence counsel said his lawsuit developed a fentanyl addiction successful 2014 and had been taking methadone successful jail.

Court besides heard Northey would beryllium returning to Vancouver Island to reside with a half-sister.

The VPD said helium failed to study to his probation serviceman connected Oct. 2.

Northey was arrested and released connected Oct. 26 and accused of being a no-show astatine 2 consequent tribunal appearances.