Flying high VIU Mariners soccer club opens season with three wins.
Young motivator Keisja Cox uses her experience
of being bullied to help others.
Page 27
www.nanaimobulletin.com
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014
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VOL. 26, NO. 34
Judge finds Nanaimo man not criminally responsible for death BY Karl Yu
ThE NEwS BULLETiN
A Nanaimo man charged with second degree murder in the death of his father in February 2013 has been found not criminally responsible by way of mental disorder. Aaron Roger Harvey, 27 at the time of the incident, suffers from schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and was suffering delusions, believing his father Roger Harvey, 69, was an agent of former U.S. president George Bush and poisoning him. He stabbed his father to “prevent being poisoned again.” In her rulaaRoN haRVeY was ing, Judge Mary found not criminally Humphries said responsible for the there was no doubt death of his father, on all the evidence Roger harvey. Aaron that Aaron Harharvey, who suffers vey suffers from a from schizophrenia and major mental disschizoaffective disorder, order, had been will remain in a forensic deeply delusional psychiatric hospital in for many years Coquitlam. and was suffering delusions when the incident occurred. She accepted that within the context of his delusions, Harvey believed he acted in self-defence and was rendered incapable because of his mental disorder, of knowing his actions were morally wrong. The matter was referred to the B.C. Review Board for a disposition hearing and Harvey will remain at the forensic psychiatric hospital at Coquitlam. The board will review his illness on an annual basis after its initial decision. Jackie Gaudet, Crown counsel, said while there is always the possibility Harvey could be released – dependent on his long-term prognosis and risk of being a danger to himself and the community – it wasn’t likely based on his illness.
Quickfacts
CHRIS BUSH/THe NewS BUlleTIN
Regional parks staff posted warnings at the Witchcraft Lake Trail head after a cougar made off with a Nanaimo woman’s dog while she was hiking in Mount Benson Regional Park Wednesday. Conservation officers are warning people cougars normally inhabit the park and hikers should keep dogs leashed or avoid taking their pets into the woods altogether.
Cougar attack on dog prompts warning
I
oWNeR WaTChed incident unfold on Mount Benson trail. BY Chris Bush ThE NEwS BULLETiN
A Nanaimo woman is reeling from seeing her dog taken and killed by a cougar. Serra Stewart was returning from a hike with her
father and three dogs on Witchcraft Lake Trail, in Mount Benson Regional Park, Wednesday at about 11 a.m. On a steep section of the trail, about 20 minutes from the parking lot on Wilkinson Road, a cougar appeared, eyed up the dogs that were off-leash and about seven metres away and snatched Charlie, Stewart’s eight-year-old female dog. “It was just there. The
dogs didn’t bark or anything,” Stewart said in a text message. “It looked at all three and grabbed my girl. She screamed, only for about five to 10 seconds, and it was done. I lost it, threw my backpack and ran down the mountain after it. Of course, what’s the point? She was gone and no way I can catch a cougar.” Sgt. Ben York, mid-Island region conservation officer supervisor, said in this case
the cougar exhibited natural behaviour, given the circumstances. “As far as that cougar’s concerned, a small dog matches its prey profile,” York said. “The complainant was in a wilderness area and it’s normal for cougars to be hunting there.” York said Stewart and her father acted correctly by calling back the other dogs and leaving the area. See ‘CONSERVATION’ /5
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