Gavin Arnott, ex of Jodi Henrickson, accused of assaulting a woman

Ex-boyfriend Missing BC teenager Jodi Henrickson was recently charged with assaulting a woman in Alberta, but the charges were dropped due to an uncooperative witness, CTV News has learned.

Court documents show Gavin Arnott has been charged with assault, aggravated assault and criminal damage under $5,000 in connection with an incident near Drayton Valley, Alta., in August.

Retired RCMP officer Peter Cross, who assisted in the investigation into Henrickson’s disappearance, told CTV News that the alleged victim was Arnott’s common-law partner.

Arnott was scheduled to appear in Drayton Valley Provincial Court on Nov. 19 to enter a plea before a “key witness declined to participate” in the case, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service confirmed in an email.

“Accordingly, there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction and the charges were dropped,” ACPS said.

Court documents show Arnott was accused of assaulting the woman and using a “filled toy bin” against her. He also allegedly damaged a coffee table and a toy airplane that belonged to her.

A documentary about Henrickson is in preparation

Cross is currently working with Studio BRB, a Vancouver-based production company, on the documentary “Finding Jodi,” which explores the Henrickson case.

The 17-year-old Squamish resident disappeared in 2009 after attending a party on Bowen Island. Arnott, now 35, was accused of assaulting Henrickson months before she disappeared while they were dating.

“For several weeks we have been trying to speak to Gavin, who was a person of interest for police in 2009 and remains a person of interest in our documentary investigation into the disappearance of Jodi Hendrickson on Bowen Island,” Studio BRB said in a statement.

“He confirmed to police and the media that he was the last person to see her alive.”

Arnott’s name resurfaced in the media in 2011 after he was charged with sexual interference and possession of child pornography.

Court documents detail how Arnott allegedly contacted and had sex with a 14-year-old girl. The age of consent in Canada is 16.

The following year, Arnott was convicted of sexual interference and sentenced to 34 days in prison, and the child pornography charge was dropped. He was also given an 18-month probation order, an 18-month firearms prohibition and 10 years on the national sex offenders register.

He later received another 30 days for breach of bond for breach of conditions, according to North Vancouver Provincial Court.