10 - Sunday, January 23, 1994 - North Shore News two accuse lesser assault c arges B.C. Supreme Court aggravated assault trial dropped THE FATHER of a North Vancouver man claims his son received no justice afiler a long-awahed = uggravated assault trial was recently aban- doned due to plea bargaining. By Anna Marie D’Angelo News Reporter Bill Hood's 25-year-old son, Kevin Hood,-was allegedly beaten and kicked in the head while unconscious on the ground by two North Vanvouver men in the early morning of Jan. 5, 1992, Kevin Hood was walking home with an acquaintance near Capilano Mall on Marine Drive at the time of the incident. All the people involved in the incident had been drinking, accord- ing to the police. Kevin Hood survived after being _ unconscious for 12 hours and suf- fering increased pressure to the -brains. ‘ The two North “Vancouver men, Roderick Alexander McDonald and ‘Raymond. Vaughan Smith, were _ Originally charged: with aggravated ~assault.: “ But the latest of at least three Crown lawyers, Helen James, agreed to a plea bargain for reduced ‘charges on Jan.-10. ‘Said Bill Hood, “There was no } ’ court case. It was a done deéal... 1. think the Crown gutted this case and the-victim is once e again a vie- tim.” : “McDonald has since pleaded “guilty to assault and Smith pleaded guilty. to assault causing bodily Sentencing is shied for Feb. 28 in B.C. Supreme Court. James declined to say what kind of sentescing she would ask for or reveal the ages of the accused and confirnt where they live. “Preally don’t have any infor- mation at all, You are going to have to get information about those guys from the police... “Again, you can get it (the infor- mation) from the police, that's where we get our information from and we can't confirm if it's accu- rite or not,” said James. News contributing writer Brent Mudry said James told him the police report to the Crown is not public information and asked him to contact a North Vancouver RCMP constable who no longer works at the detachment. Kevin Hood believes the plea bargain comes at ihe expense of justice. “} was looking forward to secing them (the-accused) answer for what they did and see how they would explain,” said Kevin Hood. Hood said that remember anything that happened on the night he was assaulted. Kevin Hood was in hospitai for. approximately nine days and could not work for 10 months as a result of the beating. “He suffered trouble with his memory and severe. headaches ‘while recovering from the injury. . The aggravated assault charges originally laid against the accused cover. the possibility of life endan- germent. Almost two years to the day of the incident, the reduced charges and guilty. pleas were: entered into B.C, Supreme Court. 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The move pre-empted a five-day triad that had been scheduled. “Lrealize it's a game, but it ts particularly unnerving because I'm involved in it, i feel a victim too,” suid Bill Hood. na Jan. 10, 1992 News articte about the incident Lions Gate Hospital neurosurgeon Brian Hunt stated that he noticed a patiera developing whereby assault victims with head injuries were sometimes caught off guard “with a little booze in them,” Said Hunt in 1992, “Em particu. larly unbappy about the gutlessness and the spinelessness of the Crown counsel and the RCMP in not charging these people when they are caught.” The Hoods commend the RCMP concerning their case. Meanwhile, Kevin Hood is get- ting on with his life. residing and working on the North Shore. He describes: himself as a person unlikely to-go public with his, per- sonal life. “But [ thought there was more to | justice than what took place.” said Kevin Hood. 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