A 30-year-old Errington man has been charged with one count of aggravated assault and two counts of assault with a weapon after a stabbing at the French Creek Marine Pub on Jan. 20.
The suspect is expected to appear at the Nanaimo Law Courts on Feb. 21. There was also a psychiatric exam/report assessment ordered.
The suspect previously appeared in court on Jan. 24 with an additional charge of attempted murder, but the crown terminated that charge before any judicial determination.
Oceanside RCMP and B.C. Ambulance Service were called to the pub at 8:50 p.m. on Jan. 20 to find a 41-year-old Parksville man lying in the parking lot with multiple stab wounds, Oceanside RCMP said in a news release.
Within minutes, an RCMP officer located a suspect who had fled the scene on foot. The suspect was arrested without incident near the French Creek bridge on Highway 19A, RCMP said.
The victim required immediate care as a large knife was reportedly used to inflict the wounds. He was transported by B.C. Ambulance Service to Nanaimo and then transferred by air ambulance to the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria.
RCMP spokesperson Jesse Foreman said witnesses and staff at the pub were very co-operative with this investigation and it was learned that the victim and the suspect were reportedly friends who had arrived at the pub together.
— NEWS Staff