Photo: Chelsey Mutter

A Vernon businessman and former hockey coach has once again been found guilty of sexual assault in B.C. Supreme Court.

Keith Chase was first convicted in March of 2022 on one count of sexual assault against a 16-year-old girl. The charge stemmed from an incident in 2004. Chase successfully appealed the conviction and a retrial was ordered.

The victim was friends with Chase’s daughter and he was the coach of the girls’ hockey team. She was sleeping over at Chase’s family home when the sexual assault was alleged to have taken place.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Sheri Donegan, who heard the retrial, found Chase guilty on Wednesday morning. She accepted the testimony of the complainant and her father entirely — describing them both as honest, fair and balanced.

“[The victim’s] memories of the central features of her evidence, that is the three incidents of sexual activities with Mr. Chase in his home that night, were clear, unshaken and consistent throughout her evidence,” said Donegan.

“There is no question that she correctly identified Mr. Chase as the person involved in these events that night — all of the events.”

Donegan also pointed to the victim's ability to remember a number of small details about the assault and being forthright in aspects she was unable to remember as a point of credibility.

Addressing those memory weaknesses, Donegan said it did not make her an incredible witness. Instead, Donegan found the memory lapses were due to the time that passed between the assault and the retrial, and her young age at the time of the assault.

In her decision, Donegan found Chase intended to touch the victim and knew the teen girl was not consenting.

“Silence is not consent. Mr. Chase did not seek to obtain her consent regarding any of the touching that occurred that night,” said Donegan.

“And [the victim] did not communicate in any way that she was consenting to any of the touching that occurred that night.”

Lawyers will return to court on Feb. 18 to schedule a date for sentencing.