By Vanessa Ybarra

Trial of man accused of sexually assaulting Barriere senior comes to close

Apr 28, 2017 | 6:00 PM

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Testimony wrapped up in B.C Provincial Court Friday in the case of Brian Byung Koo Lee, accused of sexually assaulting an elderly woman in Barriere last year.

During closing submissions in court, Crown Counsel Frank Caputo said with only the 97-year-old woman and Lee knowing exactly what happened last August, the case comes down to credibility.

Caputo told the court while the woman may not be able to recall the exact time and sequence of events leading up to the alleged sexual assault, he says she did present ‘vivid memories’ of the incident.

Lee had stopped by the woman’s home last August to check on his truck her son was repairing for him when she alleges he sexually assaulted her.

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On Thursday in Court Lee testified that he and the woman simply talked, adding the woman was worried she was going to be sent to a care home and wanted his help.

Lee visited the woman’s home a few days later, saying he wanted to see how she was doing even though he says he was in a rush to get back to the bottle depot.

In closing arguments, Crown Counsel says Lee’s testimony included a few ‘glaring factors’ that lowered his credibility, repeating it seemed odd Lee had the time to chat with the woman while rushing back to work.

Justice Chris Cleaveley countered Lee may have simply been concerned about the elderly woman’s well-being and wanted to help as is common in Korean culture.

In his closing submissions, Caputo also said with the woman’s son threatening to kill Lee a few weeks after the alleged attack, the fact Lee immediately left the scene and didn’t tell his wife about the incident seemed ‘illogical’.

Upon completion of the trial, Justice Cleaveley told the court he would deliver a verdict by the end of June.