Photo: KTW file

kamloops provincial court

A fight over spilled cocaine led to a woman stabbing her boyfriend in the stomach outside a Kamloops hotel, a judge heard.

Jessica Marie Chaba, 28, was found guilty in Kamloops provincial court on Friday of one count of assault occasioning bodily harm. The Edmonton woman appeared in court on Sept. 25.

Chaba’s then-boyfriend, Ryan Coupal, entered the Wingate by Wyndham hotel on Rogers Way on Nov. 10, 2022, with a knife in his midsection.

Moments earlier, Chaba stabbed Coupal with what was said to be a fillet knife in his stomach while they were arguing in a vehicle parked just outside the hotel where they were staying.

At trial, Chaba admitted stabbing Coupal but said he acted in self-defense. He said he was being held against his will and that he feared for his life.

Coupal told a different story. He said he and Chaba had argued about cocaine use, and when he turned the tray over, about three grams of cocaine that Chaba had recently purchased spilled out.

Coupal said Chaba then “lost it” and began attacking her, eventually stabbing her.

Kamloops provincial court Judge Lorianna Bennett dismissed Chaba’s testimony as “incredible” in her ruling Friday.

Bennett said he believed Coupal’s story that spilled cocaine sent Chaba into a rage.

“This is what angered Ms. Chaba, not the fear she felt of Mr. Coupal at the time,” he said. “I am not satisfied that Ms Chaba’s actions were reasonable in the circumstances.”

Chaba was upset as Bennett read his verdict in court Friday. The court was stopped briefly to allow him to regain his composure.

Lawyers will return to court on November 25 to set a date for his sentencing. Chaba is not in custody.