PM41537042
Free
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Vol. 8 • Issue 47
Mount Sentinel hosts volleyball provincials See Pages 16-17
Everyone loves Simon Grypma See Page 2
ay In Our First Dffice Our New O Will Be Dec 31st! u can Until then yo r ou at us h ac re on, ti ca lo t curren et 514 Hall Stre
now available @ nelsoncu.com/eTransfer
Santa Claus lights up Nelson RHC REALTY 250.352.7252
Independently Owned and Operated
www.rhcrealty.com
It’s coming so be prepared. . . • Snow Tools • Ice Salt • Eco Friendly Ice Melters
More than just a farmers store
524 Railway St Nelson (250) 352-5375
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus both arrived on Baker St. on Nelson Fire Rescue’s ladder truck to light the Christmas tree Saturday and get a shopping list from a young admirer (inset photo). Tyler Harper photos
Jury finds Kalmikoff guilty of robberies Co-accused convicted of five of six counts in 2014 hold-ups BILL METC ALFE Nelson Star
The co-accused in a series of armed robberies in Nelson and Castlegar has been convicted of five of six charges. A jury found Krista Kalmikoff, 27, guilty of two counts of robbery (at the Nelson and District Credit Union and
Kootenay Currency Exchange), two counts of possessing stolen property worth over $5,000 (money from the credit union robbery and pharmaceuticals stolen from two pharmacies in Castlegar), and failing to stop when pursued by police. The jury found her not guilty of one charge of knowingly having a restricted firearm in a vehicle. Kalmikoff was charged with being an accomplice to Andrew Stevenson, 35, who was convicted of a number of robberies in the West Kootenay in the
spring of 2014, for which he is currently serving a 10-year jail sentence. After a trial that lasted nearly three weeks, the jury in BC Supreme Court in Nelson deliberated Friday afternoon and evening until 10 p.m. and all day Saturday, delivering its verdict at about 8:30 p.m. The minimum sentence for robbery with a weapon is five years in jail. Interviewed after the verdict, Crown prosecutor Sunday Patola said: “It was about what she knew and when she knew it. This case was about what she
said in her statements to the police and then in court — that is what it rested on. The jury seemed to take it seriously and I respect their decision in this case.” Kalmikoff will be back in court Jan. 4, when a date for sentencing will be set. Justice Mark McEwan ordered a pre-sentence report and a psychiatric report to be prepared in the meantime. A pre-sentence report is a report on an offender’s background, prepared by a probation officer to help the judge decide on sentencing.
starting at 702 Baker St. 250-354-4622 www.gericks.com