New charges have been laid against the man accused of murdering Revelstoke native Daniel Levesque.
Charges of attempted sexual assault and unlawful confinement or imprisonment were recently laid against Joshua Tyler Bredo.
Bredo is already in police custody, charged with first degree murder in connection with Levesque's death.
For Stacey Thur, Levesque's mother, the additional charges were a surprise and "hard to take."
"We didn't have any idea that they were going to lay further charges," she told the Times Review. "We just can't imagine what it must have been like for Daniel."
Levesque and Bredo were both found inside a Victoria condo after police were called to reports of an altercation on Aug. 3, 2011. Levesque was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Bredo was initially charged with second-degree murder, but the charges were stayed on Dec. 9, 2011 after a pathologist's report attributed the death to cocaine toxicity, even though the report also said Levesque had circular marks on the back of his head that indicated he was struck twice by a hammer-like weapon.
Family and police both questioned the report and the investigation into Levesque's death continued.
More than a year later, on Dec. 21, 2012, first-degree murder charges were laid against Bredo and he was arrested in Okotoks, Alta.
Bredo pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and a preliminary hearing was set for Jan. 16–25, 2014. At a preliminary hearing, lawyers set out their evidence before the court to see if it is substantial enough for a full trial.
Earlier this week, the new charges were brought against Bredo. Neil McKenzie, the spokesperson for Victoria Crown counsel said the new charges arise from the same incident that led to Levesque's death.
"Crown concluded it was appropriate to proceed on those added counts as well on the basis on the available evidence," McKenzie said. "With the matter before the court I can't get into the evidence."
Bredo appeared in Victoria court on the new charges on Wednesday, Dec. 4, and an arraignment hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 11, where he is expected to make a plea.