Update: 5 p.m.

Jevon Smith entered a guilty plea in Kelowna courts on Feb. 29, for one count of manslaughter with a firearm in relation to a 2021 shooting in Spallumcheen.

Smith was facing a charge of second degree murder but just days before the lengthy trial was scheduled to begin on Monday March 4, he made the decision to enter a guilty plea for the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Ann Seymour, Communications Counsel for the BC Prosecution Service, said Smith was sentenced today to 3102 days of in custody. He was credited with 1338 days for the time he spent in pre-sentence custody, and will serve an additional 1764 days. The court also imposed a lifetime firearms prohibition, a forfeiture order, and a DNA order.

Original:

After more than two years of pre-trial deliberations, numerous hearings and a jury selection, the man accused of a 2021 Spallumcheen fatal shooting decided to enter a guilty plea in Kelowna court, just five days before his 33-day murder trial was set to begin.

According to court documents, Jevon Smith intended to enter a guilty plea in Kelowna court on Feb. 29, and not move forward with the scheduled trial.

Jury selection for what was expected to be a lengthy murder trial took place on Monday, Feb. 26. Final pre-trial conferences were scheduled to take place through the week prior to the jury being brought back into court for the start of proceedings on March 4.

READ MORE: Jury selected in Kelowna for Spallumcheen murder trial

Ann Seymour, Communications Counsel for the BC Prosecution Service, said court records have not yet been updated but confirmed that Smith did express his intention to enter a guilty plea on Feb. 29. Seymour said she cannot yet confirm if the guilty plea was infact entered.

(This article will be updated as more information becomes available.)

Smith, born in 1975, is facing charges of second-degree murder after Dakota Samoleksi was found dead on Back Enderby Road in Spallumcheen on Sept. 20, 2021.

The RCMP believe that Samoleski and Smith were known to each other.

On the day of Samoleski害羞草研究所檚 death, police were called for reports of a possible shooting at a Spallumcheen residence shortly before noon.

Smith was allegedly seen fleeing the scene and the Southeast District Emergency Response Team were called in to assist police.

A search for Smith害羞草研究所檚 vehicle allegedly led police to Samoleksi害羞草研究所檚 body on Back Enderby Road.

Smith was arrested in Armstrong the same day and later charged with second-degree murder.

Charges of second-degree murder are used when the Crown alleges that the killing was intentional, but not pre-planned.

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