Man facing 2 years in jail after rush hour rampage

VIKKI HUI

vhui@richmond-news

com

The man who smashed at least eight cars with an oxygen tank on Steveston Highway last summer may have to spend up to two years in jail

Kenneth Roy Preece, 56, appeared by video in Richmond Provincial Court on Friday afternoon for his sentencing hearing involving three separate incidents

The first occurred during rush hour on July 22, 2022, when Preece went on a “violent, meth-fuelled rampage” and smashed at least eight cars near Ironwood Plaza, Crown prosecutor Spencer Gillespie told the court

“This was an extremely dangerous road hazard in the middle of the road Mr. Preece created in the middle of rush hour on a busy roadway,” said Gillespie, adding that it was “fortunate” that the incident did not result in collisions when drivers scrambled to avoid Preece

Preece was sent to Richmond Hospital after the incident, where he made “graphic threats” to five nurses about killing them

Fast forward to Jan 9 this year, Preece was seen throwing rocks into a commercial building at Ironwood Plaza while screaming and yelling at around 11 p.m.

Gillespie told the court that Preece was holding a crowbar and was “combative” toward police officers who attended the scene

“And that standoff ultimately concluded with Mr. Preece turning into a nearby gas meter, saying, ‘I’m gonna do it I’m gonna do it ’ And then smashing that gas meter with a two-handed overhand strike,” said Gillespie

Preece’s strike cracked the gas line, causing a natural gas leak. The “large cloud of flammable natural gas” reached as far as 100 metres away and the entire area had to be evacuated, affecting around 3,000 people

“Very fortunately, nothing ignited that gas cloud,” said Gillespie.

“Although there was certainly a potential for that to happen, given the size of the cloud and the fact that Mr Preece was swinging a crowbar on a metal pipe… a spark could easily have resulted and have that happened ”

Preece also pleaded guilty to another incident that took place on April 29, 2023, where he smashed the windshield of a parked vehicle in Richmond.

He is currently in custody

The prosecution is seeking a “significant period of incarceration” of 18 to 24 months of jail and two months’ probation, which would include a condition to ban Preece from going near Ironwood Plaza

Gillespie told the court Preece is not young and has an extensive criminal record showing he has “serious issues with anger management combined with a tendency to react very violently with minor provocations.”

Preece is scheduled to be sentenced at Richmond Provincial Court this week, after the Richmond News’ press deadline for this edition