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White Rock chemical-seizure suspect remains in custody

A White Rock man arrested in connection with a cache of chemicals remains in custody.
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A White Rock man arrested last week after an anonymous tip led police to a cache of chemicals will remain in custody until at least Thursday.

Following three brief video appearances in Surrey Provincial Court (Jan. 31, Feb. 1 and 4), a bail hearing for Hamish Norman Sutherland, 34, was set for Feb. 7.

Sutherland was arrested just after 11 a.m. Jan. 24 as he left out of the back door of an apartment building in the 15100-block of Prospect Avenue.

The chemicals were found during a search executed that day on a third-floor suite by White Rock police, members of the Explosive Disposal and Chemical/Biological/Radiological/Nuclear Response Unit, the Lower Mainland Integrated Forensic Identification Services, Emergency Response Team and White Rock firefighters.

The suite was deemed uninhabitable.

Const. Janelle Shoihet said last week that the accused “doesn’t want to tell us” what the chemicals were for.

Sutherland is charged with breach of probation in connection with the incident, and Shoihet said further charges are possible pending analysis of the chemicals.

Shoihet said Sutherland was on probation in connection with an incident in New Westminster, in which he was charged with possession of chemicals for dangerous purposes.

Court records show he pleaded guilty in October 2011 to a charge of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm in connection with an incident July 15, 2011 in Surrey.

 



Tracy Holmes

About the Author: Tracy Holmes

Tracy Holmes has been a reporter with Peace Arch News since 1997.
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