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Beckett gets bail

The man accused of murdering his wife, a teacher at Dapp school, was granted bail at a hearing last week in Kamloops, B.C. Glen Lucier, a clerk at the courthouse in Salmon Arm, B.C., confirmed last week that Peter Beckett appeared in B.C.
Peter Beckett
Peter Beckett

The man accused of murdering his wife, a teacher at Dapp school, was granted bail at a hearing last week in Kamloops, B.C.

Glen Lucier, a clerk at the courthouse in Salmon Arm, B.C., confirmed last week that Peter Beckett appeared in B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops on Dec. 7 and was granted a $100,000 bail.

As of press time, it is unclear whether Beckett has been able to meet his bail requirements.

Beckett also appeared in Salmon Arm Provincial Court on Dec. 6, where he had his matters put over to Jan. 3, 2012.

He was arrested for the murder of Laura Letts-Beckett in August.

Lucier explained that Beckett was granted a $100,000 bail with a deposit of $50,000. Furthermore, he said, a surety was named.

That means that somebody will have to sign the bail document guaranteeing that in the event of a breach of the bail recognizance, the Crown would be able to recover the bail amount.

He was unable to provide any other details about the bail conditions, since the document has not been perfected yet. He was also unable to say what, exactly, still needs to be done to perfect the recognizance.

“I do not see the surety signature on the document, so that might be the holdup — waiting for that person to come forward, agree to be that guarantee and provide proof thereafter and sign their name to it,” he said.

“After that happens, the recognizance will take effect then.”

One way or another, Beckett will be required to appear again in Salmon Arm court on Jan. 3.

“If he’s able to perfect his recognizance, once he does that he’ll be released,” Lucier said. “If he’s unable to perfect it, his remand will stay in place until his next court date.”

B.C. RCMP investigated Letts-Beckett’s death, which occurred Aug. 18, 2010, for close to a year before announcing they were treating it as a homicide. Beckett was arrested shortly thereafter.

Initial RCMP reports indicated that the two were on a boat near Shelter Bay Provincial Park on the Upper Arrow Lake in southeastern B.C. when Letts-Beckett fell in the water. She was not wearing a life jacket and could not swim.

Beckett is a former municipal politician, having spent three years on council in Napier, New Zealand. He has also worked as a bus driver with the Pembina Hills school division.

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