Reluctant witness testifies after spending a night behind bars

Photo: Castanet Staff

A night in jail was enough to convince a North Okanagan woman to testify for the Crown in the trial of her ex, who is accused in a violent robbery.

Christopher Hubley is standing trial in B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops on one count each of break-and-enter, robbery, assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

He was charged following an alleged April 12, 2020, incident at a home in Enderby. Court has heard a group of people showed up at the home, one of them armed with a Taser, and took a number of items.

Brittney Lynn Galbraith was charged alongside Hubley and has since pleaded guilty to a number of offences. She was subpoenaed by the Crown to testify on Monday, but would not co-operate.

She first refused to wear a mask, then refused to answer questions from the prosecutor.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Dennis Hori ordered her held in contempt and jailed, and she spent the night behind bars.

Galbraith was brought into court on Tuesday morning and asked by Hori whether she was ready to participate in the trial.

She reluctantly agreed, saying she would only do so because she didn’t have any “research” given to her in cells about the potential implications of not co-operating.

Galbraith said she had recently moved out of the house, and showed up on the day in question to retrieve some of her belongings.

Galbraith identified Hubley as the father of her daughter.

Hubley’s trial is expected to conclude on Friday.