A man accused of cutting off his electronic ankle monitor and ditching it on the side of a road has been denied bail on new charges connected to a high-profile police pursuit last month from the Okanagan to Salmon Arm.
Michael James Power, 39, is facing a total of 11 charges stemming from alleged offences in Clearwater, Salmon Arm and Fort St. John.
He’s been in jail since his arrest on Sept. 6 in Salmon Arm, at the conclusion of an alleged police pursuit that began in Kelowna. Mounties used a helicopter and a spike belt during the chase.
Court heard Power was arrested in January in Fort St. John on two counts of break and enter. He was released on bail on June 9, ordered to wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet to allow corrections officials to track his whereabouts.
During a bail hearing Wednesday in Kamloops provincial court, Crown prosecutor Oliver Potestio said Power’s ankle bracelet was found on July 5 near an intersection in Fort St. John, after which time Power stopped reporting to his bail supervisor. The monitor appeared to have been intentionally removed.
“It’s a very strong case for the Crown when the ankle bracelet attached to Mr. Power shows up on the side of the road and then he doesn’t report for two months,” he said.
Power is facing charges stemming from an incident in Clearwater on Aug. 25 in which he is alleged to have been found inside a stolen pickup truck.
He is also facing charges of possession of stolen property, obstructing a peace officer and two counts of breach connected to the Salmon Arm arrest, in addition to a breach charge for not reporting in Fort St. John.
Potestio sought Power’s detention, while defence lawyer Sigrid Thompson pitched a bail plan that would have seen him stay at the Vision Quest treatment centre near Logan Lake. Power said he is a user of crack cocaine.
Provincial court Judge Susan Sangha detained Power, who is in custody at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre. His next court appearance is set for Nov. 6 in Fort St. John.
