‘She was being ignored’: Survivor of hammer attack that killed B.C. mom calling for change

A friend and coworker of Bailey McCourt speaks out, one week after the hammer attack that killed the Kelowna, B.C., mother of two.

One week after the murder of Kelowna, B.C., mother Bailey McCourt, her friend and coworker who survived the horrific attack is recovering, both physically and emotionally.

“I’m covered in bruises and battle wounds,” Carrie Wiebe said Friday. “The pain is quite excruciating.”

The memories of what happened could haunt her for much longer.

The two women were returning from their lunch break on the afternoon of July 4 when McCourt’s estranged husband allegedly beat them both with a hammer in a busy parking lot.

• Related: Family of murdered B.C. mom says courts didn’t protect her from estranged husband

Wiebe said they had just been discussing McCourt’s fears about her husband – who had just been released from custody that day, shortly after being convicted of assault by choking and uttering threats in a domestic violence case – and how little support she was receiving.

“She was so scared,” Wiebe said. “She 100 per cent knew that this was a possibility.”

McCourt was killed, leaving behind two young daughters. She was 32.

To Wiebe, who also suffered a concussion after being struck in the head during the attack, her friend’s death was entirely preventable.

“I absolutely don’t think she was getting the help she needed,” Wiebe said. “I think she was being ignored.”

‘So much light inside of her’

Wiebe described her friend as a great mother to her daughters, ages three and nine, and a beloved friend who brought joy to their office.

“She made me laugh every single day,” Wiebe said, crying. “She had so much light inside of her.”

McCourt loved her girls more than anything, said Wiebe, who is heartbroken the siblings will grow up deprived of their mother.

She said she’s intent on seeing a “Bailey’s Law” passed that could prevent other families from suffering similar tragedies, while keeping her friend’s memory alive.

“I just don’t want her to be forgotten, ever,” she said.

‘Wrath of the release’

In her own experiences with domestic violence, Wiebe said she struggled to have her concerns taken seriously when she reported her partner’s abuse to the police.

“They would always just release him – and when they release him, he’s extra angry,” she said. “And he comes home, and then I get the wrath of the release. So at some point, you stop calling because it’s easier.”

She can’t believe that McCourt’s estranged husband, James Edward Plover, would be released after his convictions rather than be held in custody pending his sentencing.

But with her friend’s death getting national attention, Wiebe said she’s hopeful the people in power will take notice and make changes.

She said she won’t stop until that happens.

“I’ve been in touch with some MPs already, I have meeting set up,” Wiebe said. “I will scream from the rooftops if I have to.”