Sean Dunn, 42, died from blunt force trauma to his head, after a night at The Duchess on Tranquille Road (Image credit: File photo).

By Aaron Schulze

Perjury Charges

Man acquitted in Kamloops manslaughter trial charged with intending to mislead under oath

Aug 10, 2023 | 8:20 AM

KAMLOOPS — A Kamloops man who was acquitted of manslaughter in 2019, along with his girlfriend, have been arrested after allegedly intending to mislead under oath.

In a news release issued Thursday (Aug. 10) morning, Kamloops RCMP say 33-year-old James David Bond and 42-year-old Sara Anne Hupe each face one count of perjury related to the manslaughter trial into a 2016 beating death of a Kamloops man. The charges date back to allegations brought forth to investigators in spring 2019 but weren’t approved by the BC Prosecution Service until Wednesday.

“The recommendations to proceed with perjury charges followed a lengthy investigation led by our Serious Crime Unit and relate to accusations involving the intent to mislead justice,” Kamloops RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley said. “The charge is not one we see commonly put forth and was the result of the hard work and efforts of our Kamloops team.”

Sgt. Nestor Baird of the Kamloops RCMP Serious Crime Unit says their partners on Vancouver Island executed the search warrants on Bond and Hupe. He says the investigation will proceed through the court process.

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In March 2019, a B.C. Supreme Court jury found Bond, then 29, not guilty in the manslaughter death of 42-year-old Sean Dunn. During his testimony, Bond said he punched Dunn in the head three times in the early hours of Dec. 30, 2016, across from The Duchess on Tranquille Road.

Dunn died shortly after from blunt force trauma to his head.

Although Bond admitted to the punches, he said he only delivered the blows after a night of being harassed by Dunn. His breaking point was when Dunn allegedly grabbed Hupe’s breasts.

No further information will be provided by the RCMP.