PENTICTON - A B.C. Supreme Court judge is starting to lose patience with how long it's taking to set a trial date for the man accused of brutally attacking a 22-year-old woman inside a Penticton second-hand store two summers ago.
David Bobbitt, 37, made a brief appearance via video link in Penticton Supreme Court on Monday, during which defence counsel James Pennington requested the matter be put over to Feb. 25.
Pennington said further discussions are needed to determine whether the accused wants to proceed to trial or plead guilty. Bobbitt faces a string of charges, including aggravated sexual assault and unlawful confinement, in connection with the attack.
However, Justice Allison Beames noted this marked the sixth attempt to fix a trial date since July 30, 2012 - a month after the conclusion of Bobbitt's preliminary hearing.
The woman was discovered bound, severely beaten and sexually assaulted inside Dave's Second Hand Store on Ellis Street in the early morning hours of July 31, 2011. The attack had allegedly
continued for several hours in front of her two-year-old son.
The woman suffered severe head, facial and other injuries. The toddler was not harmed. The case generated national media coverage as RCMP issued a Canada-wide warrant for Bobbitt's arrest.
He is to appear again via video at the Feb. 25 hearing, during which a date will likely be set for trial, or for disposition of the case if guilty pleas are entered.