B.C. politician’s assault charge stayed

VICTORIA – An assault charge against a member of the B.C. legislature has been stayed, the province’s Criminal Justice Branch said Monday.

A spokesman for the branch says Pat Pimm has agreed to a peace bond for a period of eight months that prohibits him from contacting the complainant.

Dan McLaughlin says in an email that the complainant and investigators were consulted.

“The special prosecutor determined, in the independent exercise of his prosecutorial discretion, that the resolution was appropriate and fair and not contrary to the public interest,” he says.

Pimm, who represents Peace River North in the legislature, was charged with assault in September, a month after he said unspecified allegations had been made against him and a special prosecutor had been appointed.

The former agriculture minister also announced that he would quit the B.C. Liberal caucus to sit as an Independent while the matter was before the courts.

He had previously announced he would not seek re-election in May.

Pimm was first elected in 2009. He was re-elected in 2013 and appointed agriculture minister, but had to leave the post to focus on his battle with colon cancer.