By Matthew Abrey
The man charged in the 2014 killing of Christopher Ausman in Kelowna will have his trial start Feb. 19, 2019.
Steven Randy Pirko was charged with second-degree murder Nov. 18, 2016, nearly three years after Ausman’s body was found on the sidewalk along Highway 33 in the early hours of Jan. 25, 2014.
The previous trial date of Nov. 19, 2018 was rescheduled after Pirko found new council.
“From the early on-set of this investigation there were key factors to suggest that Christopher’s death was suspicious in nature, as such the Kelowna RCMP Serious Crime Unit (SCU) assumed conduct of the investigation into his death,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, in a news release issued at the time of the incident.
Related story: Arrest made in 2014 Kelowna murder
Pirko has had other charges brought against him in the past. He was also sentenced to nine months in prison in June for two counts of break and enter and another charge of possession of stolen property he’d pleaded guilty to.
“I’m sorry for my actions,” Pirko told the court via the video feed from the Okanagan Correction Centre, where he’s been held since his November 2016 arrest.
“I wouldn’t have done these things if I wasn’t addicted to heroin … I’m trying to make the best of a crappy situation.”
The pre-trial conference will be Oct. 25.
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