Sunday, May 10, 2026
ADVT 
National

Lawyers for alleged B.C. hijacker get more time to prepare bail application

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 18 Aug, 2025 11:07 AM
  • Lawyers for alleged B.C. hijacker get more time to prepare bail application

The man accused of hijacking a plane and triggering a security scare at Vancouver International Airport last month appeared briefly at a provincial court in Richmond, B.C., where his lawyers were granted an adjournment.

Shaheer Cassim attended the court virtually from Surrey Pretrial Centre wearing an orange sweatsuit.

He acknowledged he could see and hear the judge, and sat with his hands on his knees throughout the short video appearance, which lasted less than five minutes.

An articling student representing Cassim's defence lawyer, Kevin Westell, asked the court for a two-week adjournment as they continue to prepare a bail application.

The agent confirmed Cassim had agreed to remain in custody until his next appearance, which the judge scheduled for Sept. 2.

Cassim is a former commercial pilot who faces charges for allegedly taking a small aircraft from Victoria's airport on July 15 and flying it over the Vancouver airport before he was arrested upon landing.

The 39-year-old has been in custody at the pretrial facility in Surrey since his arrest and his court files have been placed under publication bans. 

He's been charged with hijacking, which is an offence constituting terrorism, and with damaging or interfering with a navigation system.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

MORE National ARTICLES

Prime Minister Mark Carney expected to call federal election on Sunday

Prime Minister Mark Carney expected to call federal election on Sunday
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to launch a federal election campaign on Sunday and send Canadians to the polls as soon as April 28. While sources would not confirm the date of the vote, federal campaigns must run at least 37 days.

Prime Minister Mark Carney expected to call federal election on Sunday

Bank of Canada signals shift in how it sets rates amid tariff uncertainty

Bank of Canada signals shift in how it sets rates amid tariff uncertainty
Tiff Macklem says that means monetary policymakers may be “acting quickly” when it comes to setting interest rates, rather than looking far into the horizon to stay “flexible and adaptable.”

Bank of Canada signals shift in how it sets rates amid tariff uncertainty

Descent warning triggered on Delta plane seconds before it crashed at Pearson: report

Descent warning triggered on Delta plane seconds before it crashed at Pearson: report
A preliminary report into a plane crash at Toronto's Pearson airport last month says the aircraft's alert system issued a warning about the descent rate less than three seconds before touchdown. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada released its report Thursday morning as it continues to investigate the Feb. 17 crash landing that sent 21 people to hospital, noting that it's too early to draw any conclusions.

Descent warning triggered on Delta plane seconds before it crashed at Pearson: report

RCMP in Northwest Territories charge B.C. man in fatal shooting

RCMP in Northwest Territories charge B.C. man in fatal shooting
RCMP say charges have been laid in a shooting that killed one person and injured two others in the Northwest Territories. Officers responded to a home early Saturday morning in the hamlet of Fort Providence, where a 31-year-old man was found dead.

RCMP in Northwest Territories charge B.C. man in fatal shooting

Body of missing Langley senior found months after she went missing: RCMP

Body of missing Langley senior found months after she went missing: RCMP
Mounties in Langley say the body of an 82-year-old woman has been found several months after she went missing. Jane Whitehouse was reported missing on Oct. 25 last year. 

Body of missing Langley senior found months after she went missing: RCMP

Poilievre says he wants to greenlight Ring of Fire mining permits within six months

Poilievre says he wants to greenlight Ring of Fire mining permits within six months
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Wednesday he'll "set a deadline" to approve all federal permits for mining in northwestern Ontario's Ring of Fire region within six months. Poilievre said that a Conservative government would also commit $1 billion over three years to build a road network to link the mining sites to Ontario's highway network and First Nations communities in the area.

Poilievre says he wants to greenlight Ring of Fire mining permits within six months