Just before Mr. Big was about to take the stage at Club Soda Monday, somebody phoned in a bomb threat to Vancouver police.

YouTube video by MrBigVEVO

YouTube video by MrBigVEVO

Dean Penney has filed a handwritten notice of appeal with the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador, contesting his first-degree murder conviction for the killing and disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Hillier-Penney. The appeal centers on the admissibility of evidence obtained through a covert RCMP operation known as a Mr. Big sting, which Penney argues should have been excluded from his trial. Penney was convicted in May 2026 after a jury heard two recorded confessions where he described pushing his wife down the stairs, causing her head to strike a gun safe, and later bludgeoning her with a mallet. The Crown's case relied heavily on these confessions, which were obtained during a four-year undercover operation where Penney participated in activities he believed were part of a criminal organization. The operation involved an RCMP officer posing as a crime boss named 'Vic,' with whom Penney developed a close relationship over time. The defense argued that Penney was in financial distress when recruited, having lost his family business and suffered a poor fishing season, making him vulnerable to the job offer. They also claimed the relationship with 'Vic' influenced his confessions, as Penney was grieving his wife's disappearance, his daughter blamed him, and his mother had died. However, Justice Vikas Khaladkar ruled that the RCMP stayed within Supreme Court guidelines for Mr. Big stings, noting Penney was not destitute and had property he could sell. The judge also found that Penney's relationship with 'Vic' did not displace his ordinary social world to the extent that would undermine the reliability of his confessions. The defense further argued Penney's Grade 8 education made him an easy target, but the Crown countered that he was more sophisticated than his education suggested. Penney, currently unrepresented, has an automatic right to appeal as he is challenging a question of law. His appeal will be forwarded to Legal Aid to determine if they will continue representing him. At sentencing, Penney maintained his innocence, stating, 'I maintain my innocence and I hope to be vindicated soon.' The case highlights ongoing legal debates about the use of Mr. Big stings in criminal investigations and their admissibility in court.

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