James Plover, accused in Bailey McCourt’s killing, faces a new no-contact order breach charge ahead of his first-degree murder trial.
New Charge Added in Bailey McCourt Murder Case
KELOWNA, B.C. — James Plover, the estranged husband accused in the killing of Bailey McCourt, is facing a new charge after police alleged he broke a court-ordered no-contact rule.
The BC Prosecution Service says the alleged breach happened on Sept. 24 in Pitt Meadows, B.C. Furthermore, prosecutors confirmed that Plover was charged on April 30 and appeared in court on Wednesday over the matter.
Murder Trial Set to Begin This Fall
Plover already faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with McCourt’s death. McCourt suffered fatal injuries during a hammer attack in a Kelowna parking lot on July 4, 2025.
The following day, Plover was arrested and charged. Initially, he faced a second-degree murder charge. However, prosecutors later upgraded the charge to first degree.
If convicted, Plover could receive an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Meanwhile, his murder trial is expected to start in September and continue for about two months.
Additional Charge Linked to Second Victim
In addition, Plover faces a dangerous driving charge connected to another person who was hurt on the day of the attack.
Earlier that same day, Plover had been released on $500 bail after a separate conviction involving assault by strangulation and threats.
The names of the people involved in that earlier case remain protected under a publication ban.
Previous Sentence and Ongoing Court Proceedings
Later, in November, Plover received a one-year jail sentence for the strangulation offence. He also received six months for each threat charge. However, all sentences were ordered to run at the same time.
After credit for time already spent awaiting trial, Plover was expected to serve about five months. Still, he remained in custody while waiting for his murder trial.
Bailey’s Law Brings New Focus to Domestic Violence Cases
Meanwhile, legislation known as Bailey’s Law has brought renewed attention to McCourt’s case. The law, named after Bailey McCourt, received royal assent last month.
The legislation expands the use of first-degree murder charges for killings linked to a pattern of coercive or controlling behaviour. As a result, prosecutors may not need to prove that the killing was planned in advance in certain cases involving this type of conduct.
