Attempted murder charges against Afshin Maleki Ighani have been dropped and new charges laid due to two unrelated stabbings.
Ighani was accused of shooting Thomas Szajko in Oliver on April 19 in the area of Station Street. Szajko, who RCMP said knew Ighani, suffered a non life-threatening gunshot injury during the incident.
Related: Attempted murder charge up in the air after victim鈥檚 death
Szajko died in his home on Dec. 1 of unspecified causes. The Crown has decided not to pursue those charges anymore, due to a lack of evidence and testimony.
Ighani still faces several other charges over the alleged kidnapping of a woman, also dating back to April. At the time a Canada-wide warrant was issued for Ighani, who was tracked down near Princeton by a police dog services and arrested. An RCMP helicopter traced the alleged victim鈥檚 cell phone location helping determine Ighani鈥檚 whereabouts.
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A warrant has been issued for two witnesses related to the kidnapping and other charges Ighani still faces. Witnesses reportedly were hesitant to testify on the matter
More charges have been laid on Ighani related to an alleged stabbing at the Okanagan Correctional Centre.
Related: Second lawsuit this week filed against jail
One small claims lawsuit, filed by inmate David James McHale alleges he was assaulted on Sept. 9. In his notice of claim he identified the other inmate as 鈥楪agne Ighani.鈥� McHale said he is a protective custody inmate and was sitting in the unit yard with two other inmates when, unknown to the inmates, an officer forgot to lock the yard door when he left to serve brunch.
鈥淎fter a few minutes, the door opened and inmate Ighani burst in. He looked around and focused on me. He came towards me, and proceeded to stab at me with a sharp shank and punch my head,鈥� said McHale in his notice of claim, where he also states he suffered cuts to his hands, arm and shirt before the officer returned.
For that incident, Ighani is facing one count of assault with a weapon and one count of assault causing bodily harm.
Related: Former New Zealand politician found guilty of murder
Ighani is facing the same two charges for an alleged assault on Peter Beckett that same day.
Just days after that incident, on Sept. 16, Beckett was found guilty of first degree murder for drowning his wife, Laura Letts-Beckett in Upper Arrow Lake near Revelstoke.
Beckett is now serving a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 25 years in a federal prison.
