VICTORIA – British Columbia’s Criminal Justice Branch says prosecutors are getting close to wrapping up cases against hundreds of people charged after Vancouver’s Stanley Cup riot four years ago.
Police have so far forwarded 366 reports to prosecutors, resulting in 887 criminal charges.
Crown spokesman Gordon Comer said 285 of the 300 people charged pleaded guilty, seven were convicted, and one was acquitted. Charges were not approved against 66 others.
He said charges were stayed against four others, a decision against two people will be announced in September and that a warrant remains outstanding against a woman who returned to Australia.
“There are 11 people awaiting sentencing and there are two people who are awaiting a verdict,” he said.
The branch has not received any reports since last October from police recommending charges, and Comer said he’s not expecting any more.
He said a substantial number of Crown lawyers have worked full time on the files for a few years, and the branch has spent nearly $4.5 million pursuing prosecutions stemming from the riot.
He said that amount covers just prosecution services, such as Crown lawyers and administrative staff, and do not include investigation or court costs.
The riot broke out on June 15, 2011 after the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.
Cars were burned, windows smashed, and stores looted along several blocks of the downtown core, causing millions of dollars in damage.
The Insurance Corp. of B.C. announced in June 2013 that it had filed a civil claim against dozens of people charged with or convicted of participating in the riot.
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