Brett Reece Alderman has been removed from the country, his spouse confirmed Tuesday, but remains hopeful he will be able return to Prince George and his family.
Alderman, 38, was deported Monday after Canada Border Services Agency determined he does not hold Canadian citizenship and was convicted of a crime for which the sentence was greater than six months or for which the maximum penalty is at least 10 years in jail.
The matter has been complicated by the fact that although he is a citizen of the United Kingdom, he has lived in Canada since he was three weeks old and the 18-month term he received for two theft-related offences, committed in Terrace in mid-2007, was served at home, not in jail.
Just prior to leaving for London, England, he filed an application through his lawyer for an appeal on humanitarian and compassionate grounds that he hopes will be heard by the Federal Court.
Alderman's common-law spouse Jacqueline Jacobsen, said that process can take anywhere from six months to two years according to people she's talked to, but added others in similar situations have eventually been able to turn to Canada.
As part of being removed charges against Alderman of assault and two counts of uttering threats from an alleged October 2010 incident had been stayed.
However, none of the allegations had yet been proven in court and Alderman said they were trumped up and was confident they would eventually have been thrown out of court anyway.
At least one other local person is in a similar situation. Although police have linked Francois Christiaan Meerholz, 24, to gang activity, the South African citizen, who has lived in Prince George since age 10, has yet to be convicted of a crime that meets the standard for deportation.
That could change however, depending on the outcome of any of four cases for which he is currently in custody and facing charges. Most notable are allegations of kidnapping, forcible confinement, assault with a weapon from an April 2012 incident in Ferndale.
He is also charged with possession of a break-in instrument, driving while impaired, dangerous driving, flight from a peace officer and driving while disqualified from the three other incidents and has remained in custody since turning himself into police in April.
