Photo: Kelowna RCMP

Jonathan Staniforth

Police in Kelowna are highlighting a recent assault case where a man was arrested, pleaded guilty and sentenced in just two days.

Kelowna RCMP officers responded to a report of an assault at the overnight encampment on the Rail Trail near Richter Avenue at about 8 a.m. back on Jan. 17.

Police arrested Jonathan Staniforth at the scene after determining he had punched and kicked another occupant of the site, before others in the area persuaded him to stop.

Staniforth was taken into custody and appeared before a judge the following day. He immediately pleaded guilty to assault and was handed a six-month jail sentence, followed by six months of probation.

“There was strong collaboration between investigators and our local prosecutors to resolve this matter quickly and appropriately,” said Staff Sgt. Brendan Dolan in a press release.

“We take every incident of assault seriously, and want to ensure everyone has a safe place to work and live ... This is a case of a repeat violent offender inflicting harm and violence towards a community member and it will not be tolerated.”

Dolan notes that such a quick resolution is a rare occurrence in the courts.

The 42-year-old Staniforth has a long criminal history in the Okanagan, with many convictions dating back to 2014.

He was most recently handed a 168-day jail sentence last summer for breaching a probation order. The probation order was connected to an assault and uttering threats conviction from 2019. He was convicted of breaching his probation order on that particular matter nine separate times.