By Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Penticton Herald A native healer convicted of assaulting a woman during a healing ceremony was sentenced Friday to two years of probation and banned from all Syilx Okanagan Nation lands. The incident, which occurred in October 2022, has caused lasting trauma and sparked widespread condemnation from Indigenous leaders and the community. Donald Wayne Ashley, 51, was found guilty of one count of common assault following a month-long jury trial. Originally facing six sexual assault charges involving six women, Ashley was acquitted of three charges and convicted of one assault. Two other charges were withdrawn, and one was stayed. Justice Michael Brundrett, citing a serious breach of trust, declined the defense’s request for a conditional discharge, which would have spared Ashley a criminal record….
Register
