Photo: Castanet

Donald Campbell, 37, has been given 18 months of probation for assaulting a security guard.

An attacker who jumped a security guard after he was caught trying to break into a downtown Kamloops homeless shelter has been ordered to spend the next 18 months on probation.

Donald Robb Douglas Campbell, 37, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Kamloops provincial court to a charge of assault.

The court heard a security guard was doing routine patrols at the Kamloops Yacht Club around 9 p.m. on March 20, 2023, when he spotted a man, later identified as Campbell, trying to enter.

When the guard got out of his vehicle and told him to stop, Campbell charged him and began throwing punches — one of which struck the guard in the forehead.

Campbell continued to swing at the guard but only made contact once. Court heard the guard was not injured in the attack.

The guard retreated to his vehicle and Campbell followed. He tried to break the window of the vehicle by punching it a half-dozen times. The guard drove down the street to wait for police.

RCMP arrested Campbell after arriving on the scene.

Thought it was open

Defence lawyer Sheldon Tate said Campbell suffers from severe seizures from time-to-time where he’s unable to control his actions and has memory issues.

“His memory of the incident is cloudy, the best that we can make out is that he was having some difficulty with respect to the access to the Yacht Club, which he didn't understand was closed at the time,” Tate said.

Court heard Campbell has no prior convictions for violent offences and his last offence was in 2016.

Campbell, who resides in Armstrong, said he was sorry for his actions and said he hopes it is never repeated.

The judge went along with a joint submission for 18 months of probation.

While on probation, Campbell will be barred from possessing any weapons. He also won’t be allowed to contact the victim or go near the Kamloops Yacht Club.