The trial for former Burns Lake Mayor Luke Strimbold has been pushed back once again after a court hearing Tuesday morning in Smithers.
Both parties appeared via teleconference and the trial has been decided to resume on June 19th due to additional information coming from the RCMP. They agreed on the later date with no debate. Court proceedings wrapped up quickly.
This is now the second time the proceedings have been pushed back, as the original court appearance on April 6th was moved to today due to lack of preparedness from both sides of the trial.
In early March, Strimbold was charged with numerous sex-related offences, including sexual assault. The allegations he faces go as far back as 2016. Victims’ identities are under a publication ban.
Strimbold was arrested and released from RCMP custody in early February on several conditions, including a ban from public areas where people under 18 years old are nearby.
Strimbold abruptly left in September 2016 and also resigned from the BC Liberal Party Executive after details of his allegations were released.
The 28-year-old was first elected Burns Lake mayor in 2011, the youngest person in BC and the second youngest in Canada to win the position. He was 21 at the time.