One of the three men accused of impersonating police officers during a home invasion in Chilliwack two weeks ago was once convicted of manslaughter for a home invasion in Harrison Hot Springs back in 2007.
The three men facing numerous charges in connection with the incident in the Eastern Hillsides on March 23 are Robert Hugo Grattan, Michael Lee-Reid and Matthew Pelletier.
• READ MORE: Police impersonators busted after Chilliwack home invasion followed by RCMP pursuit
Both Lee-Reid and Grattan have extensive criminal histories, Grattan mostly in Surrey; Lee-Reid from Surrey, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam and Abbbotsford.
But it was Grattan who was sentenced to nine years in jail on Jan. 14, 2011 convicted of manslaughter, aggravated assault and two counts of robbery for a home invasion in Harrison Hot Springs on Nov. 23, 2007. Grattan along with Nicole Amanda Birch were enlisted from a crackhouse in Surrey to participate in the robbery, according to the B.C. Supreme Court decision from 2011.
Neither Grattan nor Birch pulled the trigger nor were directly present when a man, Dan Lee, was killed with a shotgun at a drug house, but the two were among a group of four participating in the robbery.
Grattan and Birch were arrested walking out of town, but the two others involved in the killing and the robbery were never found.
Grattan was 22 years old at the time and had a history of serious drug use from age 14. Justice William Grist sentenced both of them to nine years in jail. They had already served 37.5 months in pre-trial custody.
Grattan continued in his criminal ways after being released from jail, and was included in the Surrey RCMP’s top 10 most wanted list from December 2016.
• READ MORE: Three men from Surrey RCMP’s annual naughty-and-nice list now in custody
As for the recent alleged home invasion in Chilliwack, none of the details have been presented in court and there is already a publication ban in place preventing the details from being reported until the trial gets underway.
The three men, Grattan, Lee-Reid and Pelletier, appeared via video in court on April 2 and are next due in court April 16.
The three are accused of impersonating police during the alleged March 23 home invasion on Falls Court. A resident was restrained and the suspects claimed to be police officers.
Police arrived and a white SUV fled the scene, crashing into a police vehicle, avoiding a spike belt and taking off on Highway 1, westbound in the eastbound lanes. A dramatic video of the incident showed sparks flying as the SUV sped along the highway eventually crashing into a barrier near Prest Road.
• READ MORE: WATCH: Sparks fly as SUV speeds down wrong side of Highway 1 in Chilliwack trying to flee police
Three suspects were promptly located inside of the police perimeter. The first individual was taken into custody at the wreck by IPDS, the second after a brief foot race with officers, and the third when located hiding in nearby bushes.
Pelletier and Lee-Reid faces one count each of break and enter with intent to commit an offence, robbery, unlawful confinement or imprisonment, and personating a peace officer. Grattan faces one count each of break and enter, robbery and unlawful confinement or imprisonment.
@PeeJayAitch
paul.henderson@theprogress.com
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