Photo: Contributed

Afshin Ighani

The key Crown witness for charges of an alleged 2017 kidnapping in Princeton showed up for court Monday, however a new trial date was not set. 

Afshin Ighani, 46, is facing 10 charges related to the alleged armed kidnapping and he appeared via video in B.C. Supreme Court in Penticton Monday.

Jodie Walker, 22, was taken into custody on Jan. 9 on a witness warrant to appear before the court after her she failed to show up for trial Jan. 7. She was released shortly after on conditions to attend court, which she did in person Monday.

The trial "essentially came to a stop" after Walker's failure to appear, Crown counsel Kurt Froelich told the court. He said there has yet to be discussions on setting a new trial date between himself and defence counsel Paul McMurray. Ighani returns to court on Feb. 25 to set a new trial date.

The estimated time for the kidnapping trial has come down from five days to two with the Crown applying to allow preliminary hearing testimony from another no-show witness, Christopher Gliege, to be used. Gliege fled the country earlier this year.

Ighani is facing more charges including allegedly stabbing two inmates at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in September 2017, allegedly assaulting a female prison guard last year. Trials were expected to start on those charges Monday, however new dates will be fixed on Feb. 25 along with the trial for the alleged kidnapping.