Latest news with #KarenFehr
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
Hundreds turn out for cupcake fundraiser in memory of Bailey McCourt
Long and steady lines stretched down the block outside Cupcasions bakery in Kelowna Tuesday. Long and steady lines stretched down the block outside a Kelowna bakery Tuesday, as hundreds turned out for a fundraiser in memory of Bailey McCourt. The event was organized by the owner of Cupcasions bakery, who wanted to honour the mother of two who was killed earlier this month. 'I was surprised, but I'm not surprised,' said Libbie Phillips, of the huge turnout. 'Kelowna is an amazing community. When the need arises, we jump in.' Cupcasions donated all proceeds from the day's sales, and customers began lining up well before doors opened. They didn't stop coming. McCourt died on July 4 when she was attacked by a man with a hammer in Kelowna parking lot. Her parents, Karen Fehr and Shane McCourt, were among those who visited the bakery for the fundraising event. 'I just broke down crying over the support. It's incredible,' said her mother. Her father added: 'She was my firstborn. She's got a special place in my heart.' McCourt's ex-husband and the father of her youngest daughter, James Plover, has been charged with second-degree murder. Earlier on the morning of the attack, he was convicted on four counts in a domestic violence case. Kelowna's mayor told CTV News the community is grieving and frustrated by what many see as a preventable tragedy. 'There is a lot of hurt that this has caused,' said Tom Dyas. 'So, the concern that the community is showing right now is just the love that is here.' The team at Cupcasions started work at 5:30 a.m. to meet demand, because so many pre-orders had already poured in.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
People rally in Kelowna as B.C. man charged with murder in woman's death appears in court
Hugs, tears, and signs with slogans in protest of domestic abuse filled the steps of the Kelowna Law Courts building on Thursday, ahead of James Plover's first appearance in court on a charge of second-degree murder. Plover is accused in the death of Bailey Plover, who died after an attack in a parking lot on Enterprise Way on July 4 that put another woman in the hospital. "I think all the trauma in my life has led me to be strong for this day," said Karen Fehr, Bailey Plover's mother, outside of the courthouse. Fehr said she learned of the attack around 11 that night after she found a note to call Bailey's friends, stuck to the door of her house. "She had been passed away for an hour and a half by the time I heard," said Fehr. "I wondered all night where she was." Fehr said she had moved in with her daughter and grandchildren three days before Bailey's homicide. "She called out to me on Mother's Day, terrified," said Fehr. "Every night she was sleeping a little bit better, but every day she would wake back up and it would be the same thing." Plover was convicted of three counts of uttering threats and one count of assault by strangling on the same day as the attack that killed Bailey. Court documents indicate a case of intimate partner violence. Fehr said her daughter had texted her the morning of Plover's conviction. "I messaged back right away and said, see, there you go, you know, this is all happening because you're taking the steps necessary to stand up for yourself," said Fehr. "She got this good news; she probably went out to celebrate on lunch hour. And that was her last lunch hour." Now in custody, Plover is due in court again on Sept. 16 and will be sentenced on his assault conviction later that month. The case has drawn the attention of the community and beyond to the issue of intimate partner violence. Nearly 100 people showed up at the courthouse on Thursday in support. Libbie Philips, the owner of a dessert store in Kelowna, said she first heard of the fatal attack from a post on social media, then later learned the identity of the victim through a news article she read to her husband. "I stopped mid-sentence when I got to the victim's name… it hit close to home," said Philips, who says she helped Bailey Plover choose desserts for her wedding day. Philips said she knew Bailey to be a proud mom, with a bright smile, but she had been open on social media about what she was going through. Philips is hosting a "Bailey's Day" fundraiser at her shop, Cupcasions, on July 15 to support Bailey Plover's children. The funds raised will be managed by the children's maternal grandfather. A survivor of domestic abuse. Philips says more needs to be done to protect women against violent offenders. "When it comes to violence, those offenders need to be put in custody, they need to be kept away because they walk away from that courthouse mad, because now they've lost," said Philips. "And it leaves the victims a target." "Bailey was very clear; she posted on her social media that she was afraid, and clearly she had a reason," Philips said. A statement by Kelowna RCMP says police held an event on community safety Thursday at Angel's Way parking lot for an opportunity to address community concerns in response to the July 4 attack. According to data from Statistics Canada, there were around 124,000 victims of intimate partner violence aged 12 years and older across the country in 2023. Forty-four per cent of women and girls from the age of 15 who have been in a relationship have reported intimate partner violence, physical, psychological, or sexual abuse, at some point in their lives. A Government of British Columbia website says 80 per cent of women who experience intimate partner violence don't report it to the police. Fehr said the justice system has failed her daughter and others like her "in every way, shape or form." "You know, when you walk into that courtroom, anything can happen," Fehr said. "I've never believed in justice, and I'm never going to believe in justice."
CBC
6 days ago
- CBC
People rally in Kelowna as B.C. man charged with murder in woman's death appears in court
Hugs, tears, and signs with slogans in protest of domestic abuse filled the steps of the Kelowna Law Courts building on Thursday, ahead of James Plover's first appearance in court on a charge of second-degree murder. Plover is accused in the death of Bailey Plover, who died after an attack in a parking lot on Enterprise Way on July 4 that put another woman in the hospital. "I think all the trauma in my life has led me to be strong for this day," said Karen Fehr, Bailey Plover's mother, outside of the courthouse. Fehr said she learned of the attack around 11 that night after she found a note to call Bailey's friends, stuck to the door of her house. "She had been passed away for an hour and a half by the time I heard," said Fehr. "I wondered all night where she was." Fehr said she had moved in with her daughter and grandchildren three days before Bailey's homicide. "She called out to me on Mother's Day, terrified," said Fehr. "Every night she was sleeping a little bit better, but every day she would wake back up and it would be the same thing." Plover was convicted of three counts of uttering threats and one count of assault by strangling on the same day as the attack that killed Bailey. Court documents indicate a case of intimate partner violence. Fehr said her daughter had texted her the morning of Plover's conviction. "I messaged back right away and said, see, there you go, you know, this is all happening because you're taking the steps necessary to stand up for yourself," said Fehr. "She got this good news; she probably went out to celebrate on lunch hour. And that was her last lunch hour." Now in custody, Plover is due in court again on Sept. 16 and will be sentenced on his assault conviction later that month. 'More needs to be done' The case has drawn the attention of the community and beyond to the issue of intimate partner violence. Nearly 100 people showed up at the courthouse on Thursday in support. Libbie Philips, the owner of a dessert store in Kelowna, said she first heard of the fatal attack from a post on social media, then later learned the identity of the victim through a news article she read to her husband. "I stopped mid-sentence when I got to the victim's name… it hit close to home," said Philips, who says she helped Bailey Plover choose desserts for her wedding day. Philips said she knew Bailey to be a proud mom, with a bright smile, but she had been open on social media about what she was going through. Philips is hosting a "Bailey's Day" fundraiser at her shop, Cupcasions, on July 15 to support Bailey Plover's children. The funds raised will be managed by the children's maternal grandfather. A survivor of domestic abuse. Philips says more needs to be done to protect women against violent offenders. "When it comes to violence, those offenders need to be put in custody, they need to be kept away because they walk away from that courthouse mad, because now they've lost," said Philips. "And it leaves the victims a target." "Bailey was very clear; she posted on her social media that she was afraid, and clearly she had a reason," Philips said. A statement by Kelowna RCMP says police held an event on community safety Thursday at Angel's Way parking lot for an opportunity to address community concerns in response to the July 4 attack. According to data from Statistics Canada, there were around 124,000 victims of intimate partner violence aged 12 years and older across the country in 2023. Forty-four per cent of women and girls from the age of 15 who have been in a relationship have reported intimate partner violence, physical, psychological, or sexual abuse, at some point in their lives. A Government of British Columbia website says 80 per cent of women who experience intimate partner violence don't report it to the police. Fehr said the justice system has failed her daughter and others like her "in every way, shape or form." "You know, when you walk into that courtroom, anything can happen," Fehr said. "I've never believed in justice, and I'm never going to believe in justice."
CTV News
09-07-2025
- CTV News
Mother of the Kelowna woman allegedly murdered by estranged spouse speaks out
The B.C. Conservatives are calling for a coroner's inquest into the brutal attack that killed a Kelowna mother Friday. Karen Fehr hadn't heard from her 32-year-old daughter, Bailey McCourt, for over a decade when she called in May. McCourt was amidst a family court battle with her estranged husband, James Plover. 'She reached out to me on Mother's Day crying 'I need you mom, I need help. No one is listening to me, nobody cares, nobody's doing anything',' Fehr recounted in an exclusive interview with CTV News. McCourt was in the process of moving into a home in Kelowna, B.C., with her mom and two daughters last Friday when she learned Plover had been convicted by a judge of four counts of assault by choking and uttering threats in a domestic violence case. 'They sent her the judgment that he was guilty on all counts, so she was happy,' said Fehr. That same afternoon, McCourt and a friend were beaten with a hammer in a Kelowna parking lot. After a brief pursuit, James Plover was arrested and charged with second degree murder for allegedly killing his estranged wife. Fehr can't stop thinking about her daughter's last moments. 'When I read she was able to run and tripped, I can't imagine the fear. I watched that fear every day,' said Fehr through tears. 'And falling to ground and knowing that's it. That's it.' McCourt's mom doesn't understand why Plover wasn't held in custody after his convictions. She says her daughter had feared for her life for months, and the courts didn't protect her. 'This is not the first time something like this has happened. It has happened way too many times,' Fehr said. 'It's absolutely sickening, should never have happened,' said Elenore Sturko, the B.C. Conservative Public Safety and Solicitor General critic. 'They were convicted of a violent crime, not just charged, and not innocent until proven guilty. They were guilty. This is absolutely horrific. It's unacceptable.' The Conservatives are calling for a coroner's inquest into the circumstances leading up to McCourt's murder. 'It's just clear that there were so many gaps that ultimately led to this brutal murder,' Sturko said. 'As British Columbians, we can't let this just be another file that gets swept under the rug.' CTV News requested an interview with Attorney General Niki Sharma and was emailed a statement from Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equality Jennifer Blatherwick in response. It read, in part: 'Like many British Columbians, I was horrified to learn what happened and I understand the grief and anger people are feeling. Cases like this highlight the need for continuous improvements in how we identify risk, support survivors, and ensure all parts of the justice system are working together.' Blatherwick said the province is working to implement recommendations from Dr. Kim Stanton, who recently wrote a bipartisan report on domestic violence. 'We're also working with the federal government to strengthen bail and sentencing laws, as well as issues that have long been overlooked at the national level, like stronger protections against intimate partner and gender-based violence, and the need to re-evaluate risk in cases involving repeat sex offenders,' the statement said. Fehr also wants changes to the law, as she mourns a daughter who was ripped from her life just months after re-entering it. 'I'm just going to spend my days just remembering who she was,' she said, as she clutched her daughter's childhood teddy bear.
