A Prince George woman was sentenced Friday to time served for attempting to prevent an assault victim from telling her story to police.
Ollie James Henyu, 36, who identifies as female, pleaded guilty to intimidation of a justice system participant and uttering threats. She had credit for 368 days time served prior to sentencing.
The outcome is in relation to a Dec. 23, 2016 incident when the victim had shown up at a 1700-block Pearson Avenue home to buy crack cocaine.
One of the other women in the home had been the subject of a kidnapping in August 2016 and recognized the victim as one of the perpetrators. After the victim had smoked the cocaine, four women turned on her to settle the score, according to an agreed statement of facts read into the court record Friday.
Despite her claim that she was only a bystander to the kidnapping, she was repeatedly punched and kicked while the music was turned up to drown out her screams. Then she was dragged into the bathroom, put in the bathtub and told she might be killed.
One of the attackers then brought a sawed off shotgun into the bathroom, told the victim it was loaded and she was going to pull the trigger. She placed the barrel in the victim's mouth, then struck her in the head with the gun while the others continued to hit her.
Her mouth was then duct-taped after a rag was put in to shut her up and Henyu, whose relation to the others was not made clear during the hearing, was called for advice on next steps. Henyu arrived at the home shortly after and told the woman to tell police she had been jumped by two men on the street and if she gave the real story, she would be killed.
The top portion of the victim's hair was then cut off and her cellphone taken before she was let go. She went to a neighbouring home where an ambulance was called and she was taken to hospital. The victim suffered a concussion, a broken nose, several cuts and a burn to her chest consistent with being singed with a cigarette.
When RCMP arrived at the hospital, she initially told the story Henyu had ordered her to tell. But she then said she had been assaulted at a home but was afraid to provide any further details for fear she would be attacked again. But RCMP found a piece of paper with the home's address on her and, after she was released from hospital, the victim provided two further statements.
The four were arrested at the home and evidence consistent with the story police had been given was collected. Henyu, meanwhile, was apprehended a few days later. The attack was described as "vendetta based" and Henyu's actions were all intended to keep the victim quiet, the court was told.
In sentencing Henyu, B.C. Supreme Court Justice George Macintosh agreed with a joint submission from Crown and defence counsels. The cases against the other four as well as a man also suspected of being involved, remain pending and none of the allegations against them have been proven in court.
