Prolific Kelowna offender back in court for kidnapping, extortion

A Kelowna, B.C., man who has been in and out of prison repeatedly throughout the last decade has found himself of the crosshairs of police yet again.

Nathan Fahl, a prolific offender who was once charged in the high-profile mowing down of a  newspaper carrier during a high-speed chase with police, is back in court, now charged with robbery, extortion, kidnapping and the confinement of two people in Lake Country from Feb. 10 to Feb. 16.

He’s not alone in facing charges relating to these allegations.

Court documents indicate Russell Jordan Elliot Newman and Natasha Dyanne Roshuk  are also charged with the same list of crimes.

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He is currently in custody and they will be in court for a bail hearing on May 31.

Fahl has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2007. Among the long list of convictions, there are  a multitude of bail breaches, a 2017 conviction for stealing a bait car and driving without a licence, a 2012 conviction for dangerous operation of motor vehicle and driving with a suspended licence in 2011.

It was Dec. 6, 2013, however, when he was part of his arguably most high-profile crime.

That was the night when he and two of his buddies allegedly tried to avoid a police road check on Springfield Road after leaving a house party in Rutland, drove into a fire hydrant and then 41-year-old newspaper carrier Steve Kania, who was seriously injured.

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At the time Fahl was charged with, among other things, dangerous and impaired driving causing bodily harm, failing to stop at an accident and carrying or threatening to use a weapon.

All the charges were stayed when his friend and passenger of the car, Donald Brodie, claimed he was the driver.

Years after the crash Kania could not live alone, was unable to make financial or legal decisions and lived in a long-term care facility.