From June 22:

(Caledonia, ONT.) On June 21, 2006, the Ontario Provincial Police made an arrest related to an incident, which occurred in Caledonia on June 4, 2006 at approximately 9:45pm.

Charged with two counts of Assault is Ken Hill, age 47 of Ohsweken, Ontario.

The charges relate to an incident involving an alleged confrontation between the “occupiers” and Caledonia citizens near a barricade at the end of Braemar Ave. An investigation followed resulting in an arrest warrant being issued for Ken Hill. The accused was arrested at approximately 7:05am in Cayuga, Haldimand County without incident.

Ken Hill will appear in Cayuga court on July 16, 2006 to answer to the charges.

In a subsequent report, the court date was reported to July 19. n It is not clear if the earlier report was in error or if the court date was changed.

As I've estabished in earlier posts, Ken Hill owns a major international cigarette manufacturing concern as well as having a deep interest in seeing gambling (either online or a real casino or both) on the Six Nations Reserve. I've speculated on whether his business interests, especially his gambling interests, played a role in his violent participation in the Caledonia land dispute.

What is clear is that he had a date with the court. What is also clear is that on June 29, he was in Germany, participating in the opening of a cigarette factory, despite facing charges for assault.

Did Ken Hill return?

Today we have this report:

CALEDONIA (AM900 CHML) - A Cayuga judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of a Six Nations man.

The judge took the action after the man failed to appear in court this morning (Wednesday), on charges relating to an assault on two CH-TV cameramen in early June.

He [sic] accused also stands to lose a 15-hundred dollar deposit which he left previously, when he was released on bail.

One of the CH cameramen needed stitches to close a head wound as a result of last month's attack.

Though the report does not name him, it is clearly Ken Hill (same charges, same date). So Ken Hill is now wanted for failure to appear. [[Actually, the news report has confused two different defendants -- see the update below. Note that I'm leaving the next sentence unchanged.]] My questions is whether the police are going to find him being sheltered by his friends and allies on the Reserve somewhere, or if we will find Ken Hill in Germany, enjoying a bratwurst and preparing an asylum request.

Major Update: The original radio report has now been replaced by an expanded newspaper story:

Frank Burning, 37, from Ohsweken, who wasn't identified until today, was supposed to be in a Cayuga courtroom yesterday morning but didn't show up. He is charged with assaulting CH cameraman Nick Garbutt.

Burning was arrested in Brantford last month and released on bail June 28 after giving the court $1,500 in cash and after his mother, Alberta Katherine Mounture, pledged $10,000 in equity she has in a Brantford property to help secure his release.

Justice of the Peace Catherine Woron issued a bench warrant for Burning's arrest and ordered that a special hearing be held to determine how much of the $10,000 his mother will have to hand over since Burning didn't show up for court as ordered.

Woron was told Burning's mother applied to be relieved of her duty as a surety, but that application only came yesterday -- the same day her son didn't show up.

So it looks like I got Burning and Hill mixed up based on the first radio report, which seemed to atrribute Hill's charges (two counts of assault) to the Burning (the man subject of the bench warrant).

So does that means the Ken Hill made his court appearance?

Uh, no.

Prominent Six Nations businessman Ken Hill had his case come up briefly in court yesterday.

Hill didn't appear, but was represented by a lawyer.

He is charged with assaulting Steve Tong and Quinton Chausse on June 4 and has hired high-profile Hamilton lawyer Dean Paquette.

Hill will be back in court on July 26, when he's expected to apply to have the terms of his release altered -- an application that requires him to be there in person.

So no arrest warrant for Ken Hill -- sorry about that. But you can see how CHML News could have gotten confused -- Ken Hill also did not show up for court.

So we still don't know where Ken Hill is. To give him the benefit of the doubt, we can assume he returned from Germany. But he did not appear in court, and it will be a week before we know for sure.

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