Warning: This story contains details that may disturb some readers. Discretion is advised.
In a surprise turn of events during court on Thursday, the Crown prosecutor asked the judge to acquit a Kelowna Mountie accused of sexual assault, and the judge agreed.
RCMP officer Chad Vance had been accused of trying to rape a woman in the summer of 2015.
The case largely revolved around his word versus hers.
The woman took the stand and alleged that Vance pinned her down and tried to sodomize her.
He then took the stand and denied it.
Court heard the pair had dated for approximately six months.
The woman did not step forward with her story until roughly three and a half years after the incident was alleged to have happened.
During trial, she relied on her memory for what happened when, while he was largely able to refer to his credit card receipts.
The judge said that there’s some support for Vance’s evidence that the woman, who lived out of town, was not in Kelowna at the time the offence was alleged to have occurred.
Justice Roy Dickey also noted that the burden was on the Crown to prove the allegation beyond a reasonable doubt.
“Although I do not agree with all the submissions of the defence, I am satisfied that the Crown has failed to meet the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” Dickey said.
The judge found Vance not guilty of one count of sexual assault.
He had no comment after court.
Vance remains suspended from the RCMP without pay and is still facing an internal code of conduct hearing in April.
There are seven allegations against him that he may have behaved in a manner that could discredit the police force.