Princeton man denies weapons charges page three
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SPOTLIGHT The Similkameen
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Volume 65 Issue 7
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Missing dog sparked pitchfork battle Tara Bowie Spotlight Staff
A missing dog was the catalyst for a brawl involving sticks, a pitchfork and a baseball bat in the small community of Coalmont in June 2014, several Crown witnesses testified in Princeton court last week. Marianna Gatzke, the owner of a home on Columbia Street in Coalmont, and her 67-year-old father Karl Gatzke, are each on trial for assault charges stemming from the bloody street fight. Marianna Gatzke has pleaded not guilty to assault while her father has pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault causing bodily harm. Court heard Thursday, during the first day of the trial, that fellow Coalmont resident Adonis Barron had been irate over his missing dog and believed the Gatzkes had taken it. The early morning calm of June 27, 2014 was shattered at the Sterne residence when Barron pounded a dent into the front door. Diane and Robert Sterne, owners of the Mosey On Inn hotel in Coalmont, often allowed Marianna Gatzke to use their internet or telephone. The Sternes testified that Barron came to their home screaming about his dog and that he’d heard Marianna sold the animal on the internet. “He was on a tirade yelling and screaming at us,” Robert Sterne said. “I told him, ‘if you don’t get off (our property), I’ll throw you off.’” The Sternes stated they called 911 about the incident but were told someone from the RCMP would call them back at a later time. Court heard from several Crown witnesses that after returning to his trailer on Columbia Street, Barron had coffee with his neighbor Penny Anguillon on her porch. The Aguillon home is located across the street from Marianna Gatzke’s property. Penny Aguillon testified that over the 10 years they’d lived across the street from each other she and Marianna Gatzke had many problems and she’d previously called police to report being harassed by the woman.
File photo
Karl Gatzke testified last week in Princeton court that he did not know how his neighbors came to be injured during a street fight in Coalmont.
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Penny Aguillon described Barron’s behaviour as “preachy” on the morning of June 27, 2014. “He was in preacher mode,” she explained. “He was saying things like, ‘God will judge you. Give me back my dog or God will come after you one way or another.’” Several times that morning Barron was seen walking up and down the street in front of Marianna Gatzke’s home, shouting about his dog. The dog had been missing for several days at that point. The Spotlight was told outside the court office that several days after the fight the dog showed up back at home and died four days later. “How did you know he was missing a little dog,” Crown attorney John Swanson asked. “I saw her pick it up,” Penny Aguillon testified. Penny Aguillon also testified she heard the father and daughter talking about Barron’s dog in their yard during the time it was missing. Several witnesses testified seeing Barron let the air out of Gatzke’s car tires that morning, while the vehicle was parked along the street. Later that morning, while Barron was on the roadway, the Gatzkes emerged from their property carrying sticks which several witnesses described as “rough cut two-byfours.” After seeing the sticks Barron picked up a broken ice pick or axe handle and the fight was on. Eye witness testimony from residents of the Aguillon home – including Penny, the grandmother, Sandra, mother, Candice, daughter and Reg Duke, Candice’s boyfriend – differed regarding how many blows were struck but all stated Barron was hit first. “Marianna started it. She was poking and jabbing at him,” Reginald Duke said. Duke said as Marianna Gatzke was attacking Barron from the front, Karl Gatzke was attempting to attack him from behind. When continued page two
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