10-06-2025
New Westminster man pleads guilty to 7 charges in intimate partner violence investigation
The courthouse in New Westminster is shown. (CTV News)
A New Westminster man has pleaded guilty to seven charges after a 'complex and emotionally challenging' investigation into intimate partner violence, local police say.
Edward Soviak entered the guilty pleas on June 4, the New Westminster Police Department said in a news release Tuesday.
Online court records show he was charged with 16 offences that were alleged to have occurred between Sept. 6 and Oct. 30 in New Westminster. The seven to which he pleaded guilty were:
Two counts of assault
One count of unlawful confinement
One count of breaching a release order
One count of breaching a no-contact order
One count of obstruction of justice
And one count of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm
The charges stemmed from an investigation that began 'after police responded to several reports involving a pattern of escalating violence,' the NWPD said in its release.
The seven guilty pleas related to 'three separate incidents,' according to police.
'This was a complex and emotionally challenging investigation,' said Sgt. Andrew Leaver, in the release.
'I want to commend the incredible work of our Specialized Investigation Unit and thank our partners at Family Services of Greater Vancouver and our Victim Assistance Unit. Their efforts played a vital role in supporting the victim and helping ensure these offenses were brought before the court.'
Court records indicate Soviak was born in 1989, which would make him 35 or 36 years old. He remains in custody and his next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 6 in New Westminster.
