Charges have been stayed against the man accused of killing Red Scorpions gangster Matt Campbell one year ago.
Jimi Sandhu, 25, of Abbotsford was charged on Jan. 31, 2014 with second-degree murder in the death of Campbell, 31, who had staggered into a business at the Fraser Valley Auto Mall four weeks earlier – on Jan. 2.
Campbell was bleeding profusely from his neck and was taken to hospital, where he died. Police later confirmed that he had been stabbed.
Provincial Crown spokesman Neil MacKenzie said the Crown was unable to continue its prosecution of Sandhu and directed a stay of proceedings last Thursday (Jan. 29).
"All that the (criminal justice branch) can say at this time is that on the currently available evidence, the Crown has concluded that there is no substantial likelihood of conviction," MacKenzie said.
No details of what led up to the attack, including the motive, have been released by police.
Campbell was a close friend of the Bacon brothers – also members of the Red Scorpions gang – and was among 10 people charged in 2006 after police broke up a gun-trafficking ring that sold handguns, rifles and machine guns to drug dealers across the country.
Police seized more than 100 guns during a series of raids, and approximately one-third of them were located in Abbotsford.
Campbell, who was described as a "facilitator" in the ring, was sentenced in January 2008 to two years in prison.
He allegedly took over leadership of the Red Scorpions following the arrest of two of the three Bacon brothers – Jarrod and Jamie – and the murder of the third brother, Jonathan.
Jarrod is currently is prison serving a 14-year sentence for conspiracy to traffic cocaine, and Jamie is in prison awaiting trial for his alleged role in the Surrey Six killings.
Jonathan was killed in a targeted shooting outside a Kelowna hotel and casino in August 2011.
Sandhu also has several prior charges, but most have resulted in acquittals or stays.
He faced weapon and assault charges after a person was shot in the wrist in January 2009 following a dispute at a home on Newcastle Drive, but those charges were later stayed.
In March of that year, he was convicted of theft and was sentenced to seven days in jail.
The following month, he went to trial on three charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, but he was acquitted on all counts.
In July 2009, he was again acquitted at trial – this time for possession of stolen property.
In January 2011, Sandhu was among four people charged with a home invasion and abduction that involved two men being abducted from Homestead Crescent and then driven to a home on McCallum Road.
There, the mother of one of the abducted men was taken from the home, and all three captives were later released on Highway 1 near Clearbrook Road.
Charges against all four accused were quickly stayed, due to not enough evidence to proceed.
However, in May 2012, Sandhu was found guilty of assault with a weapon, possession of a prohibited weapon and breaching his conditions. He received 31 days in jail followed by two years' probation.