The man who beat a Kamloops teen into a coma, leaving him with significant injuries from which he will never recover, has been found civilly liable by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Len Marchand.
Kristopher Teichrieb, who is in prison, was not present, neither in person nor by video or phone, for a brief hearing on Monday (Nov. 23) at which lawyers representing victim Jessie Simpson applied to have the 43-year-old Teichrieb found liable based on his previous criminal conviction.
In 2018, Teichrieb was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated assault.
His civil liability means that, for the purposes of a lawsuit filed on Simpson’s behalf, Teichrieb is responsible for any monetary damages or costs stemming from the attack and its aftermath.
Then 18, Simpson was out celebrating the end of the school year on June 19, 2016, when he became separated from his group of friends. He wound up on Teichrieb’s property near the corner of Holt Street and Clifford Avenue in Brocklehurst.
Teichrieb attacked Simpson with a metal baseball bat and with his fists. According to witnesses, the bulk of the attack took place in the middle of the street after Simpson tried to run from Teichrieb. When police arrived on scene they found Teichrieb standing over a bloodied Simpson saying, “I got him.”
In the weeks leading up to the attack, Teichrieb had threatened vigilante action after calling police to report a number of incidents of theft and trespassing. Police warned him not to take matters into his own hands.
Simpson’s injuries were significant. He suffered serious brain injuries and will require 24-hour care for the rest of his life. His mom, Sue, and friends of the family continue to organize various fundraising activities, with a group in Hope recently raising $2,000.
Lawyers representing Simpson have accused Teichrieb of hiding assets after the attack, in anticipation of a lawsuit. Teichrieb is alleged to have sold his $587,000 Clifford Avenue house to his parents for $1 six months after the assault.
Teichrieb’s civil trial is slated to get underway in B.C. Supreme Court on Jan. 11, 2021. He is expected to be self-represented.
With Teichrieb’s liability having been determined the only issues at trial will be monetary. Simpson’s lawsuit is seeking damages and care costs.
Earlier this month, Teichrieb was denied parole. He will be eligible for statutory release on April 2, 2021.
