A former Prince George man charged with first-degree murder in the death of musician Daniel Jordan Levesque in a Victoria apartment two years ago is facing two new charges.
Joshua Tyler Bredo, 28, appeared by video in Victoria provincial court Wednesday from the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre. The new charges were sworn and read aloud to him.
Bredo is now charged with attempting to sexually assault Levesque and to unlawfully confine him on Aug. 3, 2011.
Bredo has elected to be tried by B.C. Supreme Court judge and jury. A preliminary inquiry has been scheduled for Jan. 16 to Jan. 24.
He was originally charged with the second-degree murder of Levesque, but that charge was stayed in December 2011. The first-degree murder charge was sworn in December 2012.
Bredo grew up in Prince George where he gained a reputation for political ambition but also for controversy.
In 2004, he had worked as a campaign employee for Conservative MP Dick Harris but, after a falling out, raised allegations that Harris had engaged in improprieties during the party's candidate selection process.
RCMP investigated the allegations and cleared Harris of wrongdoing.
Bredo moved on to operate a handful of businesses including Pacific Media Group and Baba Media Communications and has used names including Joshua Baba, Joshua Chartier and Josh Mitchell.
He used the name Baba in October 2007 when he pledged $10,000 of his own money to start the Matthew McCully Foundation, named for a fallen soldier from Prince George.
But the McCully family said he never followed through with the cash and plans for a national tour and alleged he left them with bills of $2,300 after a planned benefit event was cancelled at short notice.
Bredo later emerged as an assistant to Calgary mayoral candidate George Dadamo but then resigned after media reports about his past. Bredo also worked briefly for a federal Conservative nominee in Cranbrook but left him with the costs of signs, pictures and a website.
Levesque, a musician from Revelstoke, played guitar at various spots in Victoria and was often accompanied by Bredo.
- with files from Prince George Citizen
