People rally in Kelowna as B.C. man charged with murder in woman's death appears in court
CBC
Hugs, tears, and signs with slogans in protest of domestic abuse filled the steps of the Kelowna Law Courts building on Thursday, ahead of James Plover's first appearance in court on a charge of second-degree murder.
Plover is accused in the death of Bailey Plover, who died after an attack in a parking lot on Enterprise Way on July 4 that put another woman in the hospital.
"I think all the trauma in my life has led me to be strong for this day," said Karen Fehr, Bailey Plover's mother, outside of the courthouse.
Fehr said she learned of the attack around 11 that night after she found a note to call Bailey's friends, stuck to the door of her house.
"She had been passed away for an hour and a half by the time I heard," said Fehr. "I wondered all night where she was."
Fehr said she had moved in with her daughter and grandchildren three days before Bailey's homicide.
"She called out to me on Mother's Day, terrified," said Fehr. "Every night she was sleeping a little bit better, but every day she would wake back up and it would be the same thing."
Plover was convicted of three counts of uttering threats and one count of assault by strangling on the same day as the attack that killed Bailey. Court documents indicate a case of intimate partner violence.
Fehr said her daughter had texted her the morning of Plover's conviction.
"I messaged back right away and said, see, there you go, you know, this is all happening because you're taking the steps necessary to stand up for yourself," said Fehr.
"She got this good news; she probably went out to celebrate on lunch hour. And that was her last lunch hour."
Now in custody, Plover is due in court again on Sept. 16 and will be sentenced on his assault conviction later that month.
The case has drawn the attention of the community and beyond to the issue of intimate partner violence. Nearly 100 people showed up at the courthouse on Thursday in support.
Libbie Philips, the owner of a dessert store in Kelowna, said she first heard of the fatal attack from a post on social media, then later learned the identity of the victim through a news article she read to her husband.
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