Second victim of alleged Kelowna hammer attack mourns the loss of friend

Global News

2 days ago

Carrie Wiebe is still recovering — not just from the physical injuries she suffered, but from the trauma of surviving an attack that claimed the life of her friend, Bailey McCourt.
On July 4, the two women were on their lunch break in a Kelowna, B.C., parking lot when they were allegedly attacked with a hammer. McCourt didn't survive.
'I have yelled and cried a lot,' Wiebe said.
Wiebe suffered multiple injuries, including bruising on her brain, and multiple bruises on her body.
The bruises on her body serve as a daily reminder of the violence she endured. She calls them defensive wounds — proof of her attempt to protect both herself and McCourt.
'I do feel like I failed,' she said. 'Like I could have kept her alive. I struggle with that every day.'
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2:16
Witness to deadly Kelowna assault shares story, footage
Police have charged McCourt's estranged husband, James Plover, with second-degree murder. He remains in custody.
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Just hours before the attack, Plover had been convicted of assault by strangulation and uttering threats — but was released with conditions.
'I still struggle with that,' Wiebe said. 'It enrages me.'
She says McCourt had only just learned about the conviction an hour before the attack. 'She was afraid he would be angry,' Wiebe recalled. 'But we didn't know he was free.'
When RCMP officers informed Wiebe that McCourt had died, she said she couldn't breathe. 'It was hard to hear — even though I kind of already knew.'
Wiebe and McCourt had bonded over their shared experiences, Wiebe hopes McCourt's death will lead to changes in how the justice system handles intimate partner violence.
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'There needs to be some change,' she said. 'If we come forward, it has to be a safe space — where we won't end up getting the wrath after they're released.'
As she continues to heal, Wiebe says she's taken on a role she never expected.
'I have to be Bailey's voice.'
A GoFundMe has been established to help Wiebe pay for expenses surrounding her recovery.
Wiebe has set up an email address — [e-mail] — for victims of intimate partner abuse to share their experience. She plans to use the responses during her fight for change. Responses can be submitted anonymously.