The man who was charged with second-degree murder after a public attack in Kelowna, B.C., on Friday was convicted of uttering threats and choking that same day.
James Edward Plover was charged in relation to the death of Bailey Plover in what Kelowna RCMP called a “highly visible and tragic event” on Friday at a parking lot on Enterprise Way.
The B.C. Prosecution Service confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that James Plover was convicted of three counts of uttering threats, and one count of assault by strangling on the day of the attack. Court documents indicated the case concerned intimate partner violence.
Plover was under a bail order, with a $500 cash deposit and “extensive protective conditions,” on the day of the Friday attack, according to the prosecution service.
In addition to Bailey Plover, one more female victim of the attack, who was known to James Plover, was hospitalized with serious injuries, Kelowna RCMP said Saturday.
CBC News has been unable to confirm the current nature of the relationship between James and Bailey Plover.
However, a family member told CBC News there was a history of domestic violence in the relationship, prompting calls for more support for domestic violence victims in B.C.
A publication ban is in place on the names of the victims in the uttering threats and choking case that James Plover was convicted of, according to the prosecution service.
He was charged with one count each of uttering threats and assault by choking on June 23, 2024, and two more charges of uttering threats were sworn the following month.
The trial for the case happened on April 16 and 17, 2025, and a judge convicted Plover of all four counts on July 4.
“A pre-sentence report with a psychological component was ordered by the court, and the matter was adjourned to Sept. 16, 2025, for a sentencing hearing,” wrote a spokesperson for the Crown.
Plover remained under his court-ordered bail conditions after his conviction on Friday. After Plover was arrested later that day, however, the Crown said prosecutors applied to revoke his bail order.
He remains in custody, with his next court appearance on July 10.
At an unrelated news conference on Monday, B.C. Premier David Eby said he was pressing the federal government to enact bail reform.
“We’ve been pressing the federal government aggressively to improve our bail system, to make sure that violent offenders are kept behind bars … to ensure that intimate partner violence, violence against women in relationships specifically, was named as an area for bail reform,” he said.
“[This is a] tragic, timely reminder of the importance of that work, and we hope the federal government works very quickly to get that in place.”
