Man convicted of violent sex assault will stay out on bail while appeal considered despite new charge

Photo: Nicholas Johansen

Jeremy Czechowski

This story contains graphic details that may not be suitable for all readers.

A West Kelowna man sentenced to five years in prison last year for a violent rape will remain out of custody while his appeal is considered despite new allegations that he threatened a woman. 

Jeremy Czechowski was convicted in 2018 of sexual assault causing bodily harm, unlawful confinement, attempting to choke and uttering threats, stemming from an incident on Feb. 21, 2016.

He appealed his conviction on April 5, 2019 — the day he was sentenced to five years in prison — and was released on bail. 

On August 5, 2020 Crown prosecutors approved a new charge against Czechowski of uttering threats for an alleged incident two day prior. 

A woman claims she met Czechowski through a mutual friend at a gathering on the Enderby River. The woman told police she left the group when the partying became too rowdy, but inadvertently left her car key in Czechowski’s truck.

When she spoke with Czechowski on the phone, she alleges he threatened to kill her and kidnap her child. Included in the evidence was a copy of a Facebook message that states “I know where you live” and “[it’s] on now.”

During Czechowski’s original sex assault trial in May 2018, courts heard that the victim, M, whose identity is protected under a publication ban, had come to Czechowski's West Kelowna home with a friend after a night out clubbing. M had believed they were going to Czechowski's house to buy cocaine.

The court heard how Czechowski had ripped off M's underwear shortly after she arrived, and brought her purse to an upstairs bedroom. M followed him to retrieve her belongings.

“While in the bedroom, the accused pulled off her dress, pushed her onto the bed and began to have anal sex with her,” Justice Kenneth Ball said when he sentenced Czechowski. “He grabbed her throat and was squeezing hard. She was having difficulty breathing and worried that she would become unconscious."

Over a period of several hours, Czechowski left the room on several occasions, before coming back to the room and forcing M to have unprotected anal sex, two other separate times.

While Czechowski maintains to this day that the sex was consensual, M testified she did not consent, and Justice Ball ruled that regardless, she had been too intoxicated to consent.

After the third separate sexual assault that night, M found her cell phone and left the home. She was found by an RCMP officer hiding in a nearby bush just before 7 a.m.

Czechowski’s appeal of that conviction was heard in Vancouver on June 16, with the judgement currently under reserve. 

On August 13, Crown prosecutors tried to have Czechowski’s bail revoked in response to the new charge of uttering threats. 

Justice Bruce Butler, however, ruled that the new allegation was not serious enough to detain Czechowski and instead tightened his bail conditions. 

The cash deposit related to Czechowski’s bail was increased from $10,000 to $20,000, his curfew was increased to 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. and no-contact orders were added to his release conditions preventing him from contacting the woman he allegedly threatened. 

“The proposed variations to the conditions attached to the release order will significantly reduce the public safety concerns that arise from the recent charge,” Justice Butler ruled.

The court documents gave no indication when the judgement on Czechowski’s appeal of the sexual assault conviction will be rendered.