Judge orders Enderby man to pay $1,500 fine for third conviction of driving while prohibited

Photo: Luc Rempel

An Enderby man was lucky to avoid jail on Tuesday, ordered instead to pay a $1,500 fine for his third conviction for driving while prohibited.

Steven Kyle Bockus, 27, was sentenced in Salmon Arm provincial court Tuesday after pleading guilty to a charge of driving while prohibited. In exchange, the Crown stayed charges of possession of a controlled substance, willfully resisting a peace officer and driving with a suspended licence.

The offence dates back to Oct. 7, 2022, when police pulled over a brown Dodge Caravan on Salmon Arm Drive in Enderby because the licence plate didn't match the vehicle. Bockus was behind the wheel.

Crown asked provincial court Judge George Leven for a sentence of 14 days in jail, as well as a $750 fine. The defence asked for an increased fine of $1,500 in exchange for reduced jail time.

Court heard Bockus has suffered from bipolar disorder and anxiety his whole life, and he is now receiving treatment. He has also struggled with an methamphetamine addiction, from which he is now 160 days sober.

Bockus lives with his wife and four children, and court heard he provides care for the children while his wife attends nursing school.

Leven said this was a “difficult case,” adding he does not like to sentence people to jail in situations where it will cause undue hardship on children and the accused’s family.

He added if the crown had submitted a notice of stricter sentencing, then he would have no choice but to sentence Bockus to 14 days in jail.

He acknowledged Bockus had been convicted of driving while prohibited twice previously.

“It is virtually certain that if you get convicted of driving while prohibited again in the near or even distant future, you will be going to jail, sir,” Leven said.

In the end, Leven went with the defence lawyer's submission and ordered Bockus to pay a $1,500 fine with no jail time.

Bockus is still facing several charges in Kamloops relating to an incident on Sept. 8, 2023, where he allegedly rammed a police cruiser and injured a constable while fleeing police.

He is charged with dangerous driving, flight from police, assaulting a police officer with a weapon, possession of stolen property over $5,000 and driving while prohibited in relation to that incident. He is due back in court on those charges in April.