A B.C. woman who was allegedly threatened with a firearm at a North Okanagan property took the stand on Tuesday at the Curtis Sagmoen uttering threats trial.
The woman, whose identity is covered by a publication ban, recounted a frightening evening in August 2017 that ended with her fleeing barefoot.
She told the court that she had placed an online ad for “companionship services,” and received text messages asking for a “play date” for a few hours.
She described driving to a rural address where she had been told to expect a long driveway, and speeding down the lane because she felt like she was running late.
The complainant told the court she came to a gate and got out of the vehicle to push on it, when she “heard all this rustling in the bushes” and knew something wasn’t right.
The woman said she rushed back to her car, but another person was right there and although the door was closed, the window was rolled down.
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She said the person was pointing a gun in the window at her, which scared her.
“I don’t think it really hit me. I don’t think I took it seriously. I kind of felt like it was surreal … I didn’t really feel like it was loaded,” she testified. “I wasn’t as scared as maybe I could have been.”
On cross examination by Sagmoen’s lawyer, she contradicted her earlier testimony and agreed that the gun had not been pointed at her.
She also said that she didn’t hear any gunshot and admitted she can’t recall if the assailant said anything.
The woman said she pushed the gun away and started to quickly back up her vehicle.
However, she said, there was a loud noise and she felt the vehicle had crashed, so she took off running, losing her sandals in the process.
At one point during her barefoot flight, she told the court, she was afraid the person was going to shoot her as she was running away.
“I’m forever grateful that I’m not dead,” the complainant testified.
Sagmoen has pleaded not guilty to five charges in connection with the incident and its aftermath.
None of the testimony has been proven in court.
The scene of the incident was near a North Okanagan property that saw a massive police search weeks later which uncovered the remains of a missing Vernon teenager, Traci Genereaux.
Sagmoen has not been charged in connection with Genereaux’s death nor has he been named a suspect.
– with files from Doris Bregolisse
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