Ontario woman agrees to peace bond for spraying neighbour with water gun, assault charge withdrawn
CBC
A Simcoe, Ont., woman has entered into a peace bond after she sprayed her neighbour with a water gun and was charged with assault.
Wendy Washik, 58, must keep the peace, be on good behaviour and meet court-ordered conditions for nine months. The assault charge against her was withdrawn and she won't have a criminal record, ordered Justice A.G. Summers at the Simcoe courthouse Tuesday.
Those conditions include not having any contact with her neighbour, Sheehan Rochester, 49, or go on his property, Summers said. If she violates the peace bond, she could face a criminal charge again.
The peace bond is not an admission of guilt, the court heard.
Rochester told CBC Hamilton in a statement Tuesday he and his family have been "deeply affected" by Washik's actions and are thankful the peace bond instructs her to stay away from them and their home.
"We genuinely hope that she will honour her commitment to maintaining this peace moving forward," he said.
She was charged on Sept. 1, 2024, but previously told CBC Hamilton that the incident wasn't as serious as police made it seem.
She said she'd been having a playful water gun fight with a child when she accidentally sprayed Rochester's chest as he mowed the lawn.
Security footage from Rochester's property appears to show a different version of events.
In an interview with CBC News last fall, Rochester said he'd experienced years of racially fuelled harassment by a group of neighbours.
The water gun incident was part of a "mob mentality" against him and his family, Rochester said. Leading up to the incident, he'd chosen not to engage with a group of neighbours, including Washik.
Rochester said he's been called racial slurs and feels like he and his family have been targeted. He's called police about 14 times in recent years, and said officers have encouraged him to continue reporting issues.
In the footage, Washik is seen walking over to Rochester while he's setting up his lawnmower on his front lawn. She is heard saying "Hey, how's it going?"
Rochester doesn't appear to respond and begins mowing while Washik watches him for several minutes, occasionally waving.
As Vancouver nears its April 5 two-seat byelection, candidates have been in neighbourhoods talking directly with voters at several all-candidates meetings, but two in particular have, so far, been absent.
A Simcoe, Ont., woman has entered into a peace bond after she sprayed her neighbour with a water gun and was charged with assault.
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