Two years in jail for Kamloops man who attacked bus passenger then sucker-punched prison guard

Photo: Contributed

A violent outburst on a city bus and an “unprovoked” attack that knocked out a prison guard have earned a young Kamloops man more than two years in jail.

Daniel Munro was sentenced in Kamloops provincial court on Monday after earlier pleading guilty to one count each of assault causing bodily harm and simple assault.

Court heard the 23-year-old was in custody at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre on Sept. 26, 2019, when he attacked a corrections officer while being escorted to his cell.

Munro sucker-punched the officer, knocking him down, and continued to beat him while he lay on the ground. The officer briefly lost consciousness.

“The attack was completely unexpected and unprovoked,” Kamloops provincial court Judge Chris Cleaveley said in sentencing Munro.

Court heard Munro was later overheard by prison staff boasting to another inmate about the attack. The officer was off work for six months following the incident.

Months earlier, on May 29, 2019, Munro was listening to music on a Bluetooth speaker on a city bus when two men asked him to turn the volume down.

Court heard Munro instead turned the dial up, which led to a verbal exchange.

Tensions escalated and Munro began punching one of the men in the face. He then fled on foot but was identified on the bus’ video surveillance system.

In sentencing Munro, Cleaveley described the man’s “chaotic” upbringing and lengthy criminal record.

Munro has spent the majority of his adult years behind bars, court heard, and has multiple convictions for violent offences committed in prison.

Cleaveley sentenced Munro to two years for the prison attack and a further four months for the bus assault. After being given credit for time served, he has about four months left to serve.

Once he gets out of prison, Munro will be on probation for two years with terms requiring he stay away from Kamloops and not have any contact with the man he attacked on the bus.

Cleaveley also ordered Munro submit a sample of his DNA to a national criminal database.