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Former Terrace resident named in hockey riot civil suit

A FORMER resident has been named in an ICBC civil suit to recover costs of damage to vehicles during the Stanley Cup riots two years ago.

A FORMER resident and graduate of Caledonia has been named in an ICBC civil suit to recover costs of damage to vehicles during the Stanley Cup riots in Vancouver two years ago.

Mathew William Eakin has been named as one of 46 individuals in the civil suit filed June 13 by ICBC to recover costs of damage to 77 vehicles during the riots.

In the civil suit, ICBC claims that “at least 122 motor vehicles, including 24 emergency vehicles, were damaged or destroyed.”

The riot erupted after the Vancouver Canucks lost in the seventh game of the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins June 15, 2011.

Cars were torched, stores broken into and looted and many people arrested, pepper sprayed and tear gassed as police tried to break up the riot in the downtown area.

Eakin is named in the civil suit as allegedly having been involved in the damage of a white 2006 Ford E250 that “was damaged by the intentional acts, assistance and encouragement of some of the rioters, including but not limited to the defendant Matthew Eakin....”

The total amount of the insurance claims on the vehicle is $15,351.99.

In total, ICBC lists the losses and expenses it paid out at a total of $526,116.16 on 77 vehicles, adding that the totals may be amended.

Eakin has also been criminally charged with one count of taking part in a riot, four counts of mischief, one count of break and enter and commit indictable offence and one count of break and enter with intent to commit offence from June 15, 2011, according to court documents filed in Vancouver provincial court.

Eakin’s trial has been scheduled for four weeks in January 2014.

He was granted bail set at $2,000 on Sept. 19, 2012 on his own recognizance and without surety or deposit.

On his own recognizance means he gave his word he would follow any conditions he was ordered to abide by until his trial.

Without surety or deposit means he didn’t have to put down part of the bail amount now or have someone else agree to vouch for his behaviour until his trial.

As of June 10, the Criminal Justice Branch of the provincial Ministry of Justice said criminal charges have been approved against 229 people and the branch has concluded that no charges will be approved against 40 people.