A notorious South Okanagan criminal has been diagnosed with leukemia, which his lawyer said could add delays to his dangerous offender hearings, currently underway.
Already considered a prolific offender, Ronald Teneycke’s criminal history spans decades, with the latest incident — a South Okanagan-wide manhunt after Teneycke shot Wayne Belleville in the back and stole his truck in 2015 — spurring an application for dangerous offender status.
Defence lawyer Michael Welsh said he may require an adjournment following Tuesday morning’s hearing, which will see the Crown’s final witness on the matter.
Related: Dangerous offender hearing starts
That adjournment would allow Welsh to determine the prognosis from Teneycke’s doctor, and determine how long Teneycke likely has to live.
Asked whether it would affect Teneycke’s dangerous offender status, Welsh said it would affect his life expectations.
Judge Richard Hewson heard from a federal parole officer Monday morning, followed by a provincial probation officer in the afternoon, with the Crown expected to bring just one more witness to the stand in its case for applying dangerous offender status to Teneycke.
A dangerous offender status would mean an indefinite sentence without parole for seven years, or a regular sentence followed by up to ten years of a long-term supervision order in the community — which could turn into an indefinite sentence if the offender breaks a condition of the supervision order.
To be considered a dangerous offender, Hewson must deem it reasonable to fear that Teneycke is at risk of committing a criminal organization or terrorism offence, sexual assault on an under-16 or a “serious personal injury offence.”
Related: Dramatic concludion in RCMP hunt for Teneycke
Teneyce’s decades-long criminal record started with a 12-year sentence for a sexual assault on a teenage in 1993, and he has been in and out of jail since.
After shooting Belleville in 2-15, Teneycke led police on a manhunt through the South Okanagan, holding up an Oliver convenience store while on the run.
RCMP eventually caught up with Teneycke in a Cawston orchard after an officer shot his tire eight times in a slow-speed chase.
Police found Belleville’s wallet, a rifle, a defunct revolver and a machete on Teneycke, who later pleaded guilty to armed robbery, robbery with a restricted firearm, flight from a peace officer and discharging a firearm with intent to wound.
Welsh said it wasn’t clear at this point how long an adjournment would take.
Related: Last chance for prolific offender Teneycke
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