Crown questions detective who led 1st investigation that ended with no charges against ex-world junior players

Questions astir Crown witnesses

I’m Karen Pauls, a elder newsman who’s covering this proceedings with my CBC colleagues astatine the London courthouse.

I had an absorbing speech with 1 of the galore ineligible experts who’s not progressive successful the lawsuit but is pursuing it closely.

Brandon Trask, an subordinate prof successful the University of Manitoba’s module of law, is penning a publication astir Crown policies and prosecutions.

Speaking from Winnipeg, Trask says he’s funny to find retired wherefore the Crown called now-retired London constabulary sergeant Stephen Newton to testify. Newton was the pb researcher successful the archetypal case, which helium yet closed.

Newton’s worth whitethorn beryllium the Crown’s quality to play the recorded interviews helium conducted with respective of the defendants successful November 2018, Trask said.

Newton told tribunal yesterday helium did in-person interviews with Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton, and telephone interviews with Cal Foote and Dillon Dube.

Court watched McLeod’s interrogation yesterday, and we whitethorn spot Formenton’s arsenic well, though it’s not definite when. These erstwhile interviews whitethorn beryllium the lone clip we perceive from immoderate of the defendants, who aren’t mandated to testify.

Newton started the video by saying helium didn’t judge helium had grounds to laic intersexual battle charges and had nary plans astatine that constituent to apprehension McLeod.

“There's surely a perception, astatine slightest astatine this stage, that immoderate of these witnesses person been arguably much harmful to the Crown's lawsuit than helpful,” Trask said.