Best friend testifies at corruption trial that woman was harassed
The best friend of a woman at the centre of allegations of corruption by three Calgary police officers backed the complainant’s claim Friday that she was the victim of relentless surveillance.
But much of Miranda Lundrigan’s testimony focused on three people who aren’t currently on trial in connection with a bid to dig up dirt on her friend, Akele Taylor.
In fact, Lundrigan only mentioned one encounter with one of the three accused in what she described as ongoing harassment of Taylor.
Lundrigan testified Taylor moved in with her in August 2012 after leaving her then-boyfriend, Kenneth Carter.
She said during that three-week period before Taylor got her own apartment in the same condo complex, Brad McNish visited her suite.
Lundrigan said the suspended officer offered her $200 to tell him about Taylor, an offer she refused.
McNish is charged along with two then-members of the Calgary Police Service, Bryan Morton and Anthony Braile, with bribery and unlawfully using a police computer system.
Braile faces an additional charge of criminal harassment and McNish an extra allegation of breach of trust by a public officer, while Mortonfaces both additional accusations.
Braile has since been fired for an unrelated incident, but has appealed his dismissal in court.
Much of Lundrigan’s testimony was focused on Steve Walton, along with evidence of a $10,000 offer for information about Taylor made in Walton’s wife’s presence.
She said she was heading to the gym at her condo complex when she was approached by two people, who turned out to be Heather Walton and security specialist Robinson Wilson. Lundrigan said Wilson offered her an envelope of hundred dollar bills, although Wilson earlier testified it was Heather Walton who offered the cash.
“It was an open envelope, it was all crisp $100 bills and it looked to be $10,000,” she said.
The witness said Walton interjected, “and said you’re going to be subpoenaed to talk about her (in court) so you might as well be paid for your time.”
Lundrigan said she declined the offer and walked away.
But she said it worried her enough that she and Taylor contacted police to report it.
Undercross-examination by McNish’s lawyer, Paul Brunnen, the witness insisted she remembered it was the accused who had offered her the $200 payment.
Meanwhile, Justice Bryan Mahoney ruled an affidavit and statutory declaration Braile gave to Taylor’s lawyer for the purposes of a civil lawsuit, weren’t privileged documents and are admissible in the case.
The trial resumes Monday when Brunnen, Morton’s lawyer Jim Lutz, and Braile’s counsel Pat Fagan, will be given an opportunity to cross-examine Taylor.
The Waltons and Carter are scheduled to face their own trial in September.