SUNDAY
December 21 2014
FOCUS 3
Year in Review LIVE 13
Climbers lead the charge SPORT 29
Winning runs in the family L o c a l N e w s . L o c a l M at t e r s
INTERACT WITH THE NEWS at N S N E W S .C O M
Cap canyon tree-cutting suit settled
Property owners to pay $80K to restore park after 2012 incident JANE SEYD jseyd@nsnews.com
Two North Vancouver property owners who had a swath of trees cut in a public park behind
their homes have paid a significant price for their actions but won’t be left with a criminal record, a North Vancouver judge has ruled. The two owners, Hooman Bozorgnia,
42, and Roger Mulloy, 56, have agreed to pay $80,000 to Metro Vancouver as settlement of a civil court case launched after the pair were charged for illegally cutting 35 trees in Capilano River Regional Park. But in the criminal case, Judge Steven Merrick ruled Thursday the pair has already been punished
enough in the court of public opinion. In granting both men an absolute discharge, Merrick noted both have suffered significantly as a result of public outrage over their actions. “Prior to this each man was admired in the community and well respected and they’ve lost that,” said the judge.
The two men appeared before Merrick after pleading guilty to charges of mischief for paying to have trees cut down inside the park to improve their views between Dec. 26, 2011 and Jan. 12, 2012. In court Thursday, Crown counsel James Cryder told the judge how Bozorgnia and Mulloy paid Jeff Hoff to cut down,
top and trim trees on a steep slope on the eastern edge of the park, just behind their homes on Capilano Road, to improve their views. “Obviously this is the motive behind the cutting,” he said. Some of the cutting was done during the day, said Cryder, but some of it was See Property page 5
Alleged cat burglar caught in catnap BRENT RICHTER brichter@nsnews.com
A Surrey man is in custody after he apparently opted to have a snooze midway through a break-and-enter in NorthVancouver. A resident on the 100block ofWest Second Avenue came home around 10 p.m. Tuesday night and was shocked to find a stranger asleep on his couch. The suspect, according to NorthVancouver RCMP, got access to the ground-level condo through a sliding glass door and proceeded to help himself to food and personal items belonging to the owner including putting on one of the alleged victim’s t-shirts. After coming home and finding the snoozing suspect, who had allegedly loaded up a backpack full of the homeowner’s belongings, the man called 9-1-1. Police arrived and arrested the drowsy suspect, who was See Drowsy page 5
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Family New Year’s Eve at the Peak of Vancouver
Ring in 2015 with the whole family. It’s a celebration that is fun for all ages. Join us on our ice skating pond featuring a live DJ, fire dancing performances and a special 9:00 pm countdown for the littlest revelers!
grousemountain