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ICBC sues 46 for car vandalism at Stanley Cup riot

More than $500,000 in damage after vehicles flipped, torched
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Rioters in downtown Vancouver prepare to flip a car on June 15

ICBC is now suing 46 people charged or convicted in the 2011 Stanley Cup riot in a bid to recoup more than $500,000 in insured losses to 77 damaged or destroyed vehicles.

The civil court claim was filed June 13 just ahead of the two-year anniversary of the 2011 riot in downtown Vancouver following the Canucks' Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins.

Besides looting businesses, rioters flipped and torched numerous vehicles.

"ICBC has a responsibility to protect our customers’ premium dollars and is taking legal action to recover the costs of these acts of vandalism to ensure they are not passed on to our customers," the auto insurer said in a statement.

Eight named defendants are listed as being from Surrey – more than any other city –and include Lincoln Kennedy-Williams and Emmanuel Alviar, who have both already served jail time for rioting.

Other Surrey defendants named are Sean Burkett, John Stuart Fairburn, Mustafa Khan, Rag Kim, Stefan Vukovic and John Sawicki.

Others named in the suit come from across the Lower Mainland and all over B.C., from as far away as Nelson, Windermere, Prince George and Tofino.

Six are from Vancouver, six are from Burnaby, four are from Victoria, and two each are from Maple Ridge and Coquitlam.

The claim names Jane Doe or John Doe in some cases where accused rioters have charges pending or may be identified at a later date.

The losses range from small amounts for scratches or broken mirrors to total write-offs.

The largest single damage claim is $61,000 for a 2006 Bentley that was trashed and torched by rioters.

ICBC also paid out $46,316 for a 2006 BMW M5 and $39,693 for a 2007 Hummer H2.

More than 55,000 people gathered to watch the final game of the playoffs on an outdoor screen at a viewing site set up by the City of Vancouver and 100,000 more were watching at other downtown venues.

More than 120 vehicles were damaged in total, including 24 emergency vehicles.

One of the first vehicles seriously damaged was a Nissan Versa overturned and set on fire near the live site before the game ended.

Four Victoria residents and three from Surrey are among 16 defendants named

as either acting, assisting or encouraging in the damage to the Versa.

Dozens of cases against accused rioters are still before the courts.

More than 220 people have been charged so far, more than 100 of whom have sentenced, while prosecutors are still considering charge requests from police against more than 320 additional suspects.