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Dangerous driving suspect with ‘abysmal’ criminal record denied bail

Lawrence Peter Frederickson, 41, has 74 convictions over 19 years. B.C. Supreme Court upholds Surrey provincial court judge’s decision to deny bail
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Statue of Lady Justice at Vancouver courthouse. (File photo)

The B.C. Supreme Court judge has upheld a Surrey provincial court judge’s decision to deny bail to a 41-year-old man with an “abysmal” criminal record.

Lawrence Peter Frederickson is facing dangerous driving charges as well as breach of probation and breach of a release order. He was ordered detained by the lower court on April 27 and has been in custody for four months with no trial date set.

“I should say that these are mere allegations at this point and Mr. Frederickson is presumed innocent of the charges until the Crown proves them at trial,” said Justice Paul Riley, in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver. Riley said he’s “satisfied that continued detention is required” but will revisit the matter to expedite Frederickson’s trial if a date for trial or “disposition of some kind” has not been set in provincial court by Sept. 16.

“Mr. Frederickson, who is now 41 years old, has what I would characterize as an abysmal criminal record. It lists a total of some 74 convictions over a span of about 19 years,” Riley noted in his reasons for judgment. “The record includes property offences, breach of court orders, offences of violence, convictions for multiple driving offences – some under the Criminal Code and some under the Motor Vehicle Act – and convictions for flight from police and obstruction of police in the execution of their duties.”

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“Of greatest concern for present purposes are the driving offences, obstruction and flight offences, and the prior breaches of court orders,” Riley said.

Riley noted that on April 14 Frederickson is alleged to have driven a Monte Carlo over a spike belt police laid out then into oncoming traffic, driving “on the wrong side of the street on multiple occasions” and on a sidewalk “for at least two blocks” before crashing into two vehicles.

“There were no injuries reported by the occupants of the other vehicles, although there was damage and I believe the airbags were deployed on at least one vehicle,” Riley said.

Frederickson has been in custody ever since.



tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com

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About the Author: Tom Zytaruk

I write unvarnished opinion columns and unbiased news reports for the Surrey Now-Leader.
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