WEDNESDAY
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June 13, 2012
A division of
Vol. 27 No. 47
COMOX VALLEY RECORD Your community. Your newspaper. www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
A FILM A WEEK EEK
Shawn Pigott is a filmmaker on a mission. ■ 11
THE RUNNING MAN
TWO-CAR CRASH Emergency responders assess the aftermath of a two-vehicle collision on 13th Street in Courtenay near the Comox Valley Food Bank. Of the four people in the vehicles, two were taken to hospital with minor injuries. PHOTO BY KATIE THOMPSON
How do you top a NCAA Div. 1 10K championship? With a NCAA Div. 1 5K crown just two days later. That was the remarkable achievement recorded by Black Creek’s Cameron Levins at the NCAA national championships in Des Moines, Iowa last week. As noted on the Southern Utah University website, Levins’ closing speed was on full display for a second night as the Thunderbirds’ senior out-kicked the competition over the final 150metres to win Friday’s 5K race.
... Complete story on ■ 18
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Accused discussing stabbing – witness Erin Haluschak Record Staff
A close friend of a boy accused of second-degree murder told a Courtenay courtroom Friday that he and the accused were in a “deep conversation ... how you wouldn’t want to stab someone” hours before James Denton was killed last year. The B.C. Supreme Court courtroom, which has been filled to capacity with friends and family of Denton and the accused since the trial began June 4, heard how the friend and accused were drinking near the Vanier track before and while they attended the nearby Rhythm on the Rock Music Festival on July 23. As Crown prosecutor Gordon Baines noted in his opening statement, Denton, 19, was stabbed twice last July — once in the left armpit and once in the left
nearby Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds. Baines added Denton collapsed almost immediately and was
lower back — near the entrance to G.P. Vanier Secondary School following the conclusion of the day-long music festival at the
unresponsive. He later died of the two stab wounds at St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Comox. ... see DENTON ■ 2
Criminal charge laid after phone call Erin Haluschak Record Staff
Tensions between the Denton family and that of the 16-yearold accused have escalated. A member of the accused’s family allegedly called the Denton household Friday around 1 p.m., and identified himself as a reporter for the Comox Valley Record. Comox Valley RCMP note the caller requested to speak with Brenda Denton (James Den-
ton’s mother), but the request was turned down, although the call was not disconnected. “They weren’t talking very nicely, and they specifically wanted my wife, so I said no, she’s not available and I hung up,” explained Dave Denton on Monday, after he quickly determined the caller was not a member of the media. Denton used his cellphone to call police about the phone call. RCMP said comments that could be heard on the Denton
telephone involved the ongoing trial and witness testimony. Police said they arrested a 42-year-old Comox resident who is facing a charge of criminal harassment. The man was released with a series of conditions, including not being present during the trial. He will make his first court appearance July 26. “I really don’t need these harassment calls. I did nothing wrong,” added Denton. photos@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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