Man accused in houseboat fatal scheduled to return to court

Leon Michael Reinbrecht faces charges of criminal negligence.

The man accused in a July 2010 fatal boat crash in Shuswap Lake’s Magna Bay is scheduled to be back in court in September.

Charges of criminal negligence causing death and criminal negligence causing bodily harm were laid against Leon Michael Reinbrecht in January, following a 17-month investigation.

Reinbrecht, 50, from Celista, was the operator of a speedboat that collided head-on with a houseboat on the 2010 Canada Day weekend, leaving the 18-foot Campion Runabout fully embedded inside the houseboat’s cabin.

Killed in the crash was houseboat owner and driver, 53-year-old Kenneth William (Kenny) Brown of Chase. Eight people were injured.

Two dates in September and October – Sept. 5 and Oct. 4, have been set aside in Kamloops Provincial Court for a pretrial conference.

A preliminary inquiry, which will determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial, is scheduled from Jan. 14 to 22, 2013.

On Jan. 19 of this year in provincial court, Crown prosecutor Don Mann gave defence lawyer Ken Walker a box containing three large binders of information.

Walker then asked the court for time to review the disclosure.

Since then there have been three court appearances, the last on April 4 at which time the dates for the preliminary inquiry were set.

The crash occurred about 11:20 p.m. on July 3, 2010, as boats were leaving Magna Bay on Shuswap Lake following the annual Canada Day weekend fireworks display.

 

Eagle Valley News