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A Kamloops man who threatened 鈥渧igilante鈥� action when talking to police days before using a metal baseball bat to beat a teen into a coma has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
Kristopher Teichrieb, 41, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to aggravated assault in connection to a beating he levelled against then-18-year-old Jessie Simpson on June 19, 2016.
Teichrieb鈥檚 attempted murder trial was scheduled to begin on Monday before he accepted a plea deal from prosecutors.
Sitting in the prisoners鈥� box with his head down, Teichrieb and about 30 other people in the courtroom listened as Crown prosecutor Wendy Stephen read out an agreed statement of facts, including Teichrieb鈥檚 actions in the months leading to the attack.
The agreed statement of facts begins with brief physical descriptors of the two men involved: Simpson, a 5-foot-5, 18-year-old weighing 135 pounds and Teichrieb, then 39, standing six feet tall and weighing 220 pounds.
In 2016, court heard, Teichrieb had a series of escalating interactions with police based on his belief his neighbourhood, the area around Holt Street and Clifford Avenue near McArthur Island, was under siege by violent thieves.
鈥淢r. Teichrieb perceived there was escalating property crime and violence in the months leading up to the offence,鈥� the document states, outlining a number of incidents involving Teichrieb calling 911 to report suspicious activity, beginning in February 2016.
The next month, he called again, this time to report a loud party. 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting a bit fed up out here,鈥� he told the 911 operator.
On May 27, 2016, Teichrieb called 911 again and said he caught a thief breaking into a van near his home, noting he 鈥済ave him a couple of smacks and then he ran,鈥� court heard.
On June 12, 2016, seven days before Simpson was attacked, Teichrieb鈥檚 neighbour phoned police to report suspicious activity. When officers arrived, Teichrieb left his home to speak to a constable.
鈥淗e also asked if he needed to get his bat out,鈥� the agreed statement of facts reads. 鈥淢r. Teichrieb told Const. Reddeman that the next time he caught someone in his yard, he would take it into his own hands.鈥�
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According to the agreed statement of facts, Reddeman encouraged Teichrieb to contact police rather than confront an individual.
Later the same day, Teichrieb called police to report a separate incident. While talking with a dispatcher, he made a threat: 鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be some vigilante shit going on down here pretty soon if it doesn鈥檛 change. I鈥檓 telling you. This is not working.鈥�
Court heard Simpson was out partying with friends on the night of June 18, 2016. At about 4 a.m. the next morning, he became separated from his friends while leaving a house party on nearby Stardust Street.
Simpson is believed to have been intoxicated when he wandered onto Teichrieb鈥檚 property.
Teichrieb was alerted by his girlfriend at about 4:30 a.m. that someone was in their yard. He grabbed an aluminum baseball bat and went outside, asking her to call 911.
Teichrieb confronted Simpson in the yard of his home. Simpson fled, running 80 to 90 metres onto the street.
鈥淢r. Teichrieb pursued him,鈥� the agreed statement of facts reads. 鈥淢r. Teichrieb struck Mr. Simpson with the baseball bat, with his hands and with his fists.鈥�
A number of Teichrieb鈥檚 neighbours called 911 to report the altercation. One neighbour said he could hear Simpson crying and see him covered in blood. Another said he saw Teichrieb, holding his baseball bat, dragging Simpson by the backpack about 15 metres along the street.
One neighbour told police he heard Teichrieb yelling, 鈥淪tay the f鈥�- out of my yard,鈥� and, 鈥淲hy are you in my yard?鈥� during the altercation.
Police arrived on the scene at 4:37 a.m. and found Teichrieb straddling a bloodied, motionless Simpson, saying, 鈥淚 got him,鈥� according to the agreed statement of facts.
An aluminum bat covered in Simpson鈥檚 blood was found nearby. Simpson鈥檚 blood was also found on Teichrieb鈥檚 right hand and on the knee area of his pants.
Police found no evidence Simpson had been attempting to break in or steal anything from Teichrieb, court heard, but officers did find blood stains and drag marks in Teichrieb鈥檚 yard.
Teichrieb was arrested at the scene and remained behind bars for more than two years before being granted bail in August to spend time with his ailing father. He was taken back into custody following Tuesday鈥檚 sentencing hearing.
Simpson was treated at the scene by paramedics and rushed to Royal Inland Hospital for emergency brain surgery. Doctors described catastrophic injuries to his skull and face and told his mother to decide with family whether to keep Simpson on life support.
Simpson remained in a coma until the spring of 2017. He has shown modest improvement since then and was discharged from hospital in April 2018. Simpson remains in a long-term care facility and will need 24-hour care for the rest of his life.
Susana Simpson, Jessie鈥檚 mother, sat in court while Stephen read her victim-impact statement.
鈥淎s a mom, this was every parent鈥檚 worst nightmare,鈥� the statement reads. 鈥淭his incident 鈥� has robbed my son of his future. I will never see my Jessie walk through the door and give me a big hug. It鈥檚 unimaginable and unforgivable.鈥�
Teichrieb, who has no prior criminal record, apologized in court.
鈥淚鈥檝e hurt a lot of people,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 change that now. I just have to live with it for the rest of my life. I鈥檓 tremendously sorry for what I鈥檝e done.鈥�
Stephen and defence lawyer Jordan Watt pitched a joint submission of seven years in prison in exchange for Teichrieb鈥檚 guilty plea. Once he鈥檚 given credit for time served 鈥� calculated at 1.5 day for every day served in pre-trial custody 鈥� Teichrieb will have about 44 months of new time to serve in federal custody.
鈥淭his was a senseless and irrational reaction by Mr. Teichrieb,鈥� B.C. Supreme Court Justice Dev Dley said in delivering his sentence. 鈥淢r. Teichrieb had been told by the police not to engage in his own form of vigilante justice.鈥�
Dley called Teichrieb鈥檚 attack 鈥渆xtreme鈥� and 鈥渙ut of proportion鈥� even for defence of property.
鈥淗is unlawful and unprovoked attack has resulted in catastrophic consequences,鈥� the judge said.
In addition to the jail time, Teichrieb was also ordered to submit a sample of his DNA to a national criminal database.
Teichrieb will be eligible for day parole next summer and full parole in January 2020. His sentence will expire in June 2022.
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