THE second-degree murder charge against Jimi Sandhu, 24, in the stabbing death of Red Scorpion leader Matthew Campbell, 31, has been stayed apparently because there is no substantial likelihood of conviction.
There was a stay of proceedings in B.C. Supreme Court last week on Thursday.
This is quite obviously a setback to law enforcement agencies as now Sandhu is sure to be targeted by members of the Red Scorpions, leading to more complications.
Last year, on February 1, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) had announced a second-degree murder charge against Sandhu in the January 2, 2014, death of Campbell of Abbotsford. Both Sandhu and Campbell were known to police.
Abbotsford Police were called to a business in the 30100-block of Automall Drive at 3:45 p.m. on January 2, 2014, when Campbell showed up with a severe injury to his neck.
Abbotsford Police said at the time: “Medical resources were deployed to assist the man and APD members began investigating and gathering evidence. Tragically, the wounded man succumbed to his injuries a short time after arriving at hospital.”
IHIT took over the investigation and IHIT Sgt. Adam MacIntosh said: “Campbell was known to police for his history relating to gang activity.”
Sandhu was arrested a few weeks later and charged.
LAST October, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Wedge found two Red Scorpion gangsters Cody Haevischer and Matthew Johnston each guilty of six counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the 2007 Surrey Six murders.
Surrey Six co-accused Jamie Bacon, who is incarcerated, is being tried separately. He is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Corey Lal and, along with Haevischer and Johnston, conspiracy to commit murder in Lal’s death.
His brother Jonathan’s murder trial will start in April 2016 in Kelowna. The accused are Jujhar Khun-Khun, Michael Jones and Jason McBride. Jonathan was killed in Kelowna on August 14, 2011. Bacon, Larry Amero, a full-patch Hells Angels member, James Riach of the Independent Soldiers and two women were injured in the gangland shooting.
The third brother, Jarrod Bacon, has been serving a 14-year prison sentence for conspiring to import cocaine into Canada from Mexico.
Last December, Sgt. Lindsey Houghton of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit – BC (CFSEU-BC), the province’s anti-gang unit, told The VOICE: “At the start of 2014, in the absence of Jamie and Jarrod (both being in custody), Matthew Campbell was the de facto leader of the Red Scorpions on the outside and he was murdered in Abbotsford and so the number of high-ranking, if you will, Red Scorpions who are out on the streets are fewer now than they were this time last year.”
