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Defamation trial underway over deer cull

Devin Kazakoff claims he was defamed by Invermere mayor Gerry Taft after comments were posted on a news website.

A civil trial against the mayor of Invermere began in Cranbrook court on Tuesday following alleged defamatory comments that were posted to a regional online new website.

Devin Kazakoff, a resident of Invermere, claims he was defamed by Invermere mayor Gerry Taft, who allegedly referred to him a ‘convicted felon’ in the comment section of a local news webpage.

Taft’s comment was left on a letter about deer being culled in daylight in Elkford in 2014, listing Kazakoff, among others, as sources to contact for more information. However, in his comments posted online, Taft referred to Kazakoff as the author of the letter.

Kazakoff, who is involved with an urban deer protection group based out of Invermere, was a public spokesperson for anti-deer cull campaigns in the region and across the province, beginning in 2011.

However, Kazakoff and Lucky Sikora, another individual also opposed to deer culls, destroyed two clover deer traps in Kimberley that were being used to kill urban ungulates in February 2014.

Kazakoff pleaded guilty to a charge of mischief under $5,000 and was sentenced to a $2,700 fine and given a conditional discharge by Justice Ron Webb in Cranbrook in April 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Trevor Crawley

About the Author: Trevor Crawley

Trevor Crawley has been a reporter with the Cranbrook Townsman and Black Press in various roles since 2011.
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