Accused gangster Bacon gets new trial

One of B.C.'s most notorious gang members, Jonathan Bacon, 28, and two associates will face a new trial for weapons and drugs charges that were previously tossed out by a lower court.

Bacon, whom police have publicly identified as a member of the Red Scorpion Gang, was arrested along with Godwin Cheng and Rayleene Burton in August 2005, after police seized marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine and more than $90,000 in cash from two vehicles.

Police obtained a warrant to search Bacon's Abbotsford townhouse, east of Vancouver, where they found more marijuana, cash, automatic weapons, illegal ammunition, silencers, a bulletproof vest and a police uniform.

At the original trial in June 2008, provincial court Judge Donald Gardiner threw out all 15 charges against the three accused, ruling police did not have the grounds to obtain a search warrant.

Gardiner said allowing the evidence would bring the administration of justice into disrepute.

Prior verdict overturned

But on Thursday morning, three B.C. Appeal Court justices disagreed, saying the information used to obtain the warrant was a long way from abuse of process.  

The judges ordered the three accused to stand trial on the charges again.

Bacon's brothers, Jarrod, 25, and Jamie, 22, were arrested in May 2009 on numerous weapons charges. They each face nine counts of firearms-related charges and are jointly charged with 15 additional firearms offences.

Jamie Bacon and two other alleged members of the Red Scorpion gang are also facing first-degree murder charges in connection to the slayings of six people in a Surrey condo in 2007.