Joel Robert Goodale, 31, of Maple Ridge has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of 56-year-old Stephen Mellor, of Vancouver.
Mellor suffered a severe head injury during a violent fight that broke out in the early morning of June 12, 2011 in the 200-block of East Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver. After undergoing four days of intense treatment, he succumbed to his injuries on June 16.
According to police, witnesses reported seeing the victim waving an object in the air prior to being struck and knocked to the ground. The group responsible for the attack had left, but was stopped by police a short distance away.
Goodale appeared in provincial court Thursday.
Armed trespassers?
Police blocked a major portion of Harris Road in Pitt Meadows last Wednesday afternoon after alleged armed suspects were spotted trespassing on private property.
The homeowner of a property in the 13000-block of Harris Road called police around 1:30 p.m., claiming two men had come to the door asking to be let inside. When the owner refused, the suspects went to the back of the house, where the homeowner lost sight of them.
The Lower Mainland’s Emergency Response Team later cleared the property and police are saying nothing was taken and the homeowner was not injured. Ridge Meadows
Cyclist assaulted
A female cyclist was taken to hospital last Wednesday after being repeatedly punched in the face.
A 27-year-old woman was arrested, then later released after promising to appear in court. She could face assault charges.
The incident occurred just before 11:30 a.m. in the 22500-block of Lougheed Highway, when the suspect approached the victim, who had stopped riding her bike, and began assaulting her and hitting her head against the side of a building. Police say the assault was unprovoked and the victim and suspect do not know each other.