B.C. MLA demands justice reform after Kelowna woman murdered

A Conservative MLA is calling for action on intimate partner violence following the killing of a Kelowna woman.

On the morning of July 4, Bailey McCourt’s ex-partner James Edward Plover was convicted of four charges related to an incident that took place in 2024, including assault by choking.

Just hours later, Plover is accused of brutally attacking McCourt and another woman, resulting in McCourt’s death, in a highly public event witnessed by many at a busy intersection. Plover is now facing a second-degree murder charge.

Acting as the critic for B.C.’s attorney general, Steve Kooner, MLA for Richmond-Queensborough, says there must be mandatory risk reassessments after every charge and conviction related to the crime.

“Circumstances may change, and that’s why it’s absolutely crucial not only to have a mandatory risk assessment at the time of a new charge but also at the time a conviction is rendered,” Kooner told 1130 NewsRadio.

He says Attorney General Niki Sharma must also ensure the BC Prosecution Service seeks to enforce “K” file flags.

For administrative and record-keeping purposes, the BCPS identifies and designates every intimate-partner-violence case approved for prosecution as a “K” file by including a “K” in the registry number of the court and Crown file.

Kooner insists the designation must be flagged to alert the courts.

Thirdly, he’s calling on Sharma to act as an advocate and ask the federal government to seek amendments to bail and detention.

“To make sure whenever there is a repeat intimate partner violence offender, there should be tight bail and detention provisions, which may prevent an individual from being released,” said Kooner.

In June last year, Sharma helped launch an independent review to better help respond to sexual violence and intimate partner violence and to support victims. The results of the review, published last month, show most survivors never report violence to police, and those who do experience more barriers to justice.

Authors of the review called on the government to declare gender-based violence an epidemic.

Kooner says rather than commissioning another study, it’s time the government made changes.

“There’s specific actions that the attorney general can actually take, and we really, really do need justice reform.”

—With files from Charlie Carey and Srushti Gangdev