R. v. Hopley (R.P.), (2015) 380 B.C.A.C. 160 (CA)

• Judge: Saunders, D. Smith and MacKenzie, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Case Date: October 27, 2015
• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Citations: (2015), 380 B.C.A.C. 160 (CA);2015 BCCA 499

R. v. Hopley (R.P.) (2015), 380 B.C.A.C. 160 (CA);

    655 W.A.C. 160

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2015] B.C.A.C. TBEd. DE.010

Regina (respondent) v. Randall Peter Hopley (appellant)

(CA41894; 2015 BCCA 499)

Indexed As: R. v. Hopley (R.P.)

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Saunders, D. Smith and MacKenzie, JJ.A.

December 4, 2015.

Summary:

The accused pleaded guilty to, and was convicted of, one count of abducting a child, two counts of breaking and entering, and one count of possession of stolen property contrary to the Criminal Code. The matter moved to sentencing.

The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a decision reported [2013] B.C.T.C. Uned. 2427, declared the accused to be a long-term offender. He was sentenced to a determinate sentence of 59½ months' incarceration with ten years' supervision, credit having been given on a 1:1 basis for 26½ months' pre-sentence custody. He appealed his sentence respecting the amount of credit he should have received for that pre-sentence custody. The accused argued that the judge erred in failing to assign credit for pre-sentence custody at the rate of 1.5:1, in light of the judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Summers (2014). The Crown claimed that the judge was properly within her discretion in assigning the reduced amount of credit for pre-sentence custody. In support of the sentence imposed, the Crown applied to adduce fresh evidence of the accused's failure to make any significant progress in his rehabilitation through his participation in and completion of the high intensity Sex Offender Program.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the Crown's application to adduce fresh evidence and dismissed the accused's sentence 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 (in this case an order under s. 486.5 of the Criminal Code), Maritime Law Book's editorial policy or otherwise.

Criminal Law - Topic 5848.2

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Time already served - See paragraphs 47 to 61.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Summers (S.) (2014), 456 N.R. 1; 316 O.A.C. 349; 2014 SCC 26, refd to. [para. 1].

R. v. Wust (L.W.), [2000] 1 S.C.R. 455; 252 N.R. 332; 134 B.C.A.C. 236; 219 W.A.C. 236; 2000 SCC 18, refd to. [para. 9].

R. v. Helm (T.L.) (2006), 226 B.C.A.C. 198; 373 W.A.C. 198; 2006 BCCA 240, refd to. [para. 12].

R. v. Brown (J.D.) (2014), 362 B.C.A.C. 22; 622 W.A.C. 22; 2014 BCCA 439, refd to. [para. 14].

R. v. Brennan (J.M.) (2015), 368 B.C.A.C. 253; 633 W.A.C. 253; 2015 BCCA 114, refd to. [para. 14].

R. v. Keyler (J.W.), [2015] B.C.A.C. Uned. 9; 2015 BCCA 48, refd to. [para. 14].

R. v. Steele (J.M.) (2014), 463 N.R. 125; 310 Man.R.(2d) 236; 618 W.A.C. 236; 2014 SCC 61, refd to. [para. 56].

R. v. Ipeelee (M.), [2012] 1 S.C.R. 433; 428 N.R. 1; 288 O.A.C. 224; 318 B.C.A.C. 1; 541 W.A.C. 1; 2012 SCC 13, refd to. [para. 57].

R. v. Cote (K.J.) (2015), 457 Sask.R. 237; 632 W.A.C. 237; 2015 SKCA 52, refd to. [para. 58].

R. v. Johnson (J.J.), [2003] 2 S.C.R. 357; 308 N.R. 333; 186 B.C.A.C. 161; 306 W.A.C. 161; 2003 SCC 46, refd to. [para. 59].

Counsel:

R. Thirkell and K. Beatch, for the appellant;

M.J. DeWitt-Van Oosten, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on October 27, 2015, in Vancouver, B.C., before Saunders, D. Smith and MacKenzie, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. The following decision was delivered for the court by D. Smith, J.A., on December 4, 2015.