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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011
Officer ordered to stand trial Judge determines there’s sufficient evidence to proceed with obstruction charge stemming from fatal crash BY
JESSICA KERR
jkerr@delta-optimist.com
The RCMP officer charged with obstruction of justice in the 2008 crash that killed a Tsawwassen man will go to trial later this year. After less than two days of evidence in the preliminary inquiry this week, a Surrey Provincial Court judge found there is enough
evidence to take Cpl. Benjamin Monty Robinson to trial. Robinson was involved in the Oct. 25, 2008 crash that killed Orion Hutchinson. The 21-year-old died that night after the motorcycle he was driving collided with Robinson’s Jeep at the corner of 6th Avenue and Gilchrist Drive. The RCMP officer was off-duty at the time.
Family upset officer suspended with pay Page 4
“We are relieved that the outcome of the preliminary hearing showed there is without question enough evidence to go to trial,” Orion’s mother, Judith Hutchinson, said in an e-mail to the Optimist.
Robinson’s obstruction of justice charge stems from his actions after the crash. The officer left the scene of the collision, which occurred at about 10:30 p.m., and walked home, a short distance away. He returned 10 minutes later and advised police he had two beers at a party and two shots of vodka at home before returning to the scene. He was arrested and given two
breathalyzer tests at 11:56 p.m. and 12:16 a.m. Robinson’s readings registered at .12 and .10. The legal limit is .08. The coroner’s investigation into the crash found Hutchinson also had alcohol in his system. Robinson will be tried in B.C. Supreme Court by a judge and jury. He will appear in court again May 19 to set a date for trial.
Only two left to sell on ROW B.C. Hydro has sold 102 of 104 homes BY
SANDOR GYARMATI
sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com
B.C. Hydro has managed to sell almost its entire inventory of homes on the Tsawwassen rightof-way. As of this week, the Crown corporation has sold 102 of the 104 houses that first hit the market in September of 2009. Marketing the properties as Tsawwassen Heights, B.C. Hydro anticipated it would take three years to sell all the homes, although it has taken less than two. The Crown corporation purchased the homes in a buy-out program from residents who didn’t want to live under recently upgraded higher voltage power lines. Selling the homes through RE/MAX, listing no more than a couple of dozen at a time, B.C.
The Tsawwassen Heights website is filled with sold signs as all but two of the homes purchased by B.C. Hydro have now been re-sold. Hydro, as of last September, was already well ahead of schedule with 50 homes having been sold or under sales contract. There had been an initial rush
of interest when the homes first hit the market, likely from those thinking they could grab a bargain, but only a handful sold over the first few weeks. However,
sales had been steadily occurring in subsequent months and the inventory had been reduced. As to why there was a rush in recent months, Jake Moldowan,
INTERNET
the realtor in charge of the sales, explained that while buyers had come from all over the Lower See HOMES page 3
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