Bail hearing delayed for B.C. sex offender who fled halfway house, sparked search

The bail hearing for the convicted B.C. sex offender who sparked a massive search after he failed to return to his halfway house has been delayed.

Crown said paperwork has been filed for a Consent Remand — meaning Randall Hopley will remain in custody and his bail hearing is now postponed to a later date.

Randall Hopley was missing for 10 days until an off-duty police officer took him into custody outside of the Vancouver police department station on Cordova Street.

Hopley was turning himself in because he was cold, police said.

The 56-year-old man walked away from his halfway home on Nov. 4 and removed his ankle monitoring bracelet.

Immediately, a large search began to take place, including more than 25 investigators and officers.

His bail hearing was originally scheduled for Friday, Nov. 24, but has now been delayed until Dec. 8 in B.C. provincial court.

An elected official in Surrey gave her thoughts on Hopley and other potentially dangerous convicted offenders living in B.C. communities.

“It is always difficult … people are very upset when we have individuals who are brought into communities to live in halfway houses,” Elenore Sturko, Surrey South MLA and critic for addictions, mental health, recovery and education, said.

“When it comes to these types of offenders, there are not many options for people to go and receive supervision and to find suitable housing.

“I completely understand that we do need to be allowing individuals to move into our communities but it is concerning for residents and I share that concern.”

Sturko said B.C. needs to review the system in place that is responsible for monitoring dangerous offenders.

“It was just last week that Randall Hopley was apprehended after missing for ten days … a person who was under a long-term supervision order and was allegedly being monitored in our community then disappeared before a court date.

“It was extremely concerning … there was a lot of stress in not only our community but across the province. Hopley was a person who served out every day of his sentence because they believed he was dangerous and wanted to keep him as long as possible and he disappeared very easily.”

Vancouver Sgt. Steve Addison told media after his arrest that police would recommend to Crown counsel that he be denied bail and remain in custody.

3:07 Randall Hopley arrested outside Vancouver police station by off-duty officer

He has a violent criminal past, including sexual offences against children and assault.

Hopley had completed a six-year prison term for the 2011 abduction of a three-year-old boy in southeastern B.C. and was then released in 2018 and living at a halfway house.

He was arrested again in January 2023, for violating the conditions of the 10-year long-term supervision order.

— with files from Amy Judd and Canadian Press