Bailey McCourt was a vibrant, fun-loving, and kind woman, and more importantly, a devoted mother of two beautiful daughters. Her life was tragically cut short by an act of entirely preventable violence. Her death stands as a devastating example of the justice system’s failure to protect victims of intimate partner violence, even after they have taken every possible legal step to seek safety and protection.

Bailey had previously been in a relationship with James Plover. Over time, his behaviour became increasingly abusive. The abuse escalated to a physical assault in which he choked her, an act widely recognized in domestic violence risk assessment as one of the strongest predictors of future homicide. He threatened to kill Bailey and her daughters, and the assault occurred while she was holding their shared two-year-old child. Bailey reported the assault to police, and James was criminally charged.

On July 4, 2025, nearly a year after the assault, James Plover was found guilty of assaulting Bailey. Despite his history of violence and the clear risk he posed, he was released on existing bail to await sentencing, scheduled for September 2025. No additional conditions were imposed to protect Bailey; the system relied solely on a no-contact order. He was not required to wear a GPS ankle monitor, and critically, Bailey was not notified of his release.

Shortly after being released that same day, James tracked Bailey down. In a premeditated and brutal attack, he rammed her vehicle, exited his own and bludgeoned her to death with a hammer in the parking lot at her workplace, in broad daylight.

Bailey was murdered after a conviction had already been secured against her abuser, at a moment when she should have been able to rely on the justice system for protection. Instead, her killer was allowed to walk free, unmonitored and unannounced. This failure underscores the urgent need for systemic reform.

Tragically, Bailey’s case is not isolated. Across Canada, women are being killed by current or former intimate partners at alarming rates. Known, high-risk offenders are repeatedly released without adequate safeguards, even when there is a documented history of violence.

This GoFundMe has been created to support Bailey’s family as they fight back against these failures and work to ensure that no other family has to endure the same loss.

Funds raised will be directed toward advocacy, legal consultation, and legislative reform aimed at better protecting victims of intimate partner violence. Bill C-225 is the first step, but much more work is needed. Bailey’s family is actively pushing for the legal recognition of coercive control, reforms that allow serious cases to be stayed due to court delays, and changes that ensure repeat and violent offenders are held accountable rather than released due to systemic backlog.

They are also advocating for mandatory GPS monitoring with geofencing for high-risk offenders. Victims should not be expected to rely on a piece of paper or a promise from someone who has already proven they will break the law. GPS monitoring can provide critical warning, help enforce no-contact orders, offer evidence when breaches occur, and give victims a sense of control over their safety.

In addition, Bailey’s family is researching changes to laws that currently allow a parent who murders the other parent to retain parental rights in Canada, even after conviction. Families should not be forced to negotiate with the person who murdered their loved one in order to protect children, allow adoption, or preserve privacy as those children grow up. Children should not be forced to carry a last name that publicly links them to an act of violence if they wish to change it, nor should they be continually retraumatized by being recognized or questioned about whether they are connected to the murder of their parent by their other parent. The parent who committed the murder should not retain decision-making authority in these matters. These children deserve the freedom to grow, heal, and build their identities without being defined or controlled by the crime committed against them and their family.

The family is also working toward the creation of a domestic violence offender registry in British Columbia, with the goal of expanding to a national registry.

They are in contact with lawyers, advocates, and policymakers, and have launched BaileysLaw.ca, where updates, supported bills, and progress toward legislative change will be shared. Every dollar raised will go directly toward this fight for meaningful reform in British Columbia and across Canada.

The family is deeply grateful for the support of their community. You have stood with them and grieved alongside them, and through this work, they are committed to standing up for others, so no family ever has to endure the pain that theirs continues to carry.