R. v. Caron (J.V.), (2014) 353 B.C.A.C. 74 (CA)

• Judge: Hall, Stromberg-Stein and Goepel, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Case Date: February 19, 2014
• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Citations: (2014), 353 B.C.A.C. 74 (CA);2014 BCCA 111

R. v. Caron (J.V.) (2014), 353 B.C.A.C. 74 (CA);

    603 W.A.C. 74

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2014] B.C.A.C. TBEd. MR.033

Regina (respondent) v. Joseph Vance Caron (appellant)

(CA040662; 2014 BCCA 111)

Indexed As: R. v. Caron (J.V.)

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Hall, Stromberg-Stein and Goepel, JJ.A.

March 24, 2014.

Summary:

The accused was convicted of sexual assault, unlawful confinement, and uttering threats of death or bodily harm contrary to ss. 272(2)(b), 279(2), and 264.1(1) of the Criminal Code. The key issue at trial was the identification of the male who attacked the complainant after offering her a drive and giving her a ride in a truck. The accused appealed his conviction, submitting that: (1) the trial judge reversed the burden of proof in his assessment of the lie the accused told his father about the cause of damage to the truck's windshield, effectively drawing an adverse inference from the accused's failure to testify; and (2) there was a miscarriage of justice or error in law because the trial judge misapprehended the evidence, demonstrated by: (a) the insufficiency of the reasons for judgment; (b) failing to address material inconsistencies or conflicts in the evidence; (c) failing to address the absence of evidence; and (d) failing to address the police conduct in the investigation.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

Editor's Note: Certain names in the following case have been initialized or the case otherwise edited to prevent the disclosure of identities where required by law, publication ban, Maritime Law Book's editorial policy or otherwise.

The accused was granted an extension of time to appeal in a decision reported at 345 B.C.A.C. 223; 589 W.A.C. 223.

Criminal Law - Topic 128

Rights of accused - Right to make full answer and defence - See paragraphs 50 to 52.

Criminal Law - Topic 4351

Procedure - Charge or directions - Jury or judge alone - Direction regarding burden of proof and reasonable doubt - See paragraphs 19 to 30.

Criminal Law - Topic 4684

Procedure - Judgments and reasons for judgment - Reasons for judgment - Sufficiency of - See paragraphs 36 to 39.

Criminal Law - Topic 5242

Evidence and witnesses - Identification - Corroboration - See paragraphs 45 to 49.

Criminal Law - Topic 5253

Evidence and witnesses - Identification - Proof of - See paragraphs 40 to 49.

Criminal Law - Topic 5314

Evidence and witnesses - Inferences - From silence of accused or failure to explain - See paragraphs 19 to 30 and 48.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. D.W., [1991] 1 S.C.R. 742; 122 N.R. 277; 46 O.A.C. 352, refd to. [para. 21].

R. v. Noble (S.J.), [1997] 1 S.C.R. 874; 210 N.R. 321; 89 B.C.A.C. 1; 145 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 24].

R. v. Prokofiew (E.) (2012), 435 N.R. 1; 296 O.A.C. 1; 2012 SCC 49, refd to. [para. 24].

R. v. Sanchez (J.), [2012] B.C.A.C. Uned. 91; 2012 BCCA 469, refd to. [para. 25].

R. v. Scott (J.A.) (2012), 316 B.C.A.C. 247; 537 W.A.C. 247; 2012 BCCA 99, refd to. [para. 25].

R. v. Suelzle (W.) (2010), 297 B.C.A.C. 308; 504 W.A.C. 308; 2010 BCCA 591, refd to. [para. 27].

R. v. Jones (K.C.) (2006), 214 O.A.C. 225; 211 C.C.C.(3d) 4 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 27].

R. v. Morrissey (R.J.) (1995), 80 O.A.C. 161; 22 O.R.(3d) 514; 97 C.C.C.(3d) 193 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].

R. v. Gagnon (L.), [2006] 1 S.C.R. 621; 347 N.R. 355; 2006 SCC 17, refd to. [para. 29].

R. v. Sheppard (C.), [2002] 1 S.C.R. 869; 284 N.R. 342; 211 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 50; 633 A.P.R. 50; 2002 SCC 26, refd to. [para. 37].

R. v. R.E.M., [2008] 3 S.C.R. 3; 380 N.R. 47; 260 B.C.A.C. 40; 439 W.A.C. 40; 2008 SCC 51, refd to. [para. 38].

R. v. O.A. (2013), 310 O.A.C. 305; 2013 ONCA 581, refd to. [para. 41].

R. v. Lohrer (A.W.), [2004] 3 S.C.R. 732; 329 N.R. 1; 208 B.C.A.C. 1; 344 W.A.C. 1; 2004 SCC 80, refd to. [para. 44].

R. v. Griffin (J.) et al., [2009] 2 S.C.R. 42; 388 N.R. 334; 2009 SCC 28, refd to. [para. 47].

R. v. Zhu (D.D.J.) (2013), 338 B.C.A.C. 9; 577 W.A.C. 9; 2013 BCCA 118, refd to. [para. 48].

R. v. Wilkinson (T.E.) (2010), 289 B.C.A.C. 161; 489 W.A.C. 161; 2010 BCCA 316, refd to. [para. 51].

Counsel:

T.M. Arbogast, for the appellant;

J.R.W. Caldwell, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard at Vancouver, B.C., on February 19, 2014, by Hall, Stromberg-Stein and Goepel, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. Stromberg-Stein, J.A., delivered the following decision for the court on March 24, 2014.