Two guilty of harassing woman
Jury finds pair launched campaign of intimidation against woman
Wealthy Calgary businessman Ken Carter and retired police detective Steve Walton engaged in an ongoing campaign of harassment against Carter’s ex-girlfriend, a jury ruled Friday.
The five-woman, seven-man Court of Queen’s Bench jury deliberated over parts of four days before finding the two guilty of criminal harassment.
But jurors were unable to reach a consensus on a similar charge against Walton’s wife, Heather, resulting in Justice Glen Poelman declaring a mistrial on that allegation.
The jury also convicted both Waltons on charges of bribing police officers and unlawful storage of restricted firearms.
Two handguns registered to each of them were found in bedside tables during a police raid on their southwest Calgary home.
All three accused, who had been sitting at counsel table throughout their lengthy trial, were ordered by Poelman to move into the prisoner’s dock before jurors were brought in to read their verdicts.
None of the three showed any outward sign of emotion as the jury foreman pronounced separate verdicts on six of the seven charges the trio faced.
Poelman ordered the case back to court when a sentencing date will be set.
At that time he’ll also rule on a request by Crown prosecutor Ryan Persad for a pre-sentence report on each offender.
Heather Walton’s lawyer, Kelsey Sitar, asked to delay that decision until then.
Jurors accepted Crown arguments Carter hired Walton, who then retained current and former members of the Calgary Police Service, to engage in ongoing surveillance of Akele Taylor, which amounted to criminal harassment.
It was alleged he paid more than $800,000 for the surveillance.
The prosecution argued the surveillance was designed to intimidate Taylor, who was embroiled in a child-custody dispute with Carter after their summer 2012 breakup.
Taylor never gave evidence as she refused to attend court to testify and at one point was the subject of a witness warrant which was never acted on.
Nonetheless, jurors were able to rely on other testimony to find she was a stalking victim.
The Crown also argued Steve Walton was guilty of bribery for hiring acting officers to commit the crime of criminal harassment, or paying them for private police databank information.
Heather Walton was also found guilty by jurors of a bribery charge.
Steve Walton’s lawyer, Alain Hepner, said the case was an arduous one.
“It was a gut-wrenching trial … we’ve been at it a long time,” Hepner said outside court, of the weeks of trial time which followed a series of pre-trial motions.
“I know the jury was very intense … some were very emotional during the verdict. Two women were very, very distraught,” Hepner said of two jurors who could be seen crying.
Persad said it was a tough case to prosecute.
“It was a long journey, a difficult trial for Crown and defence,” he said after court adjourned.
Persad would not comment on what sentences he and co-prosecutor Katherine Love will likely seek.
Jurors had indicated in a note to Poelman late Wednesday they were deadlocked on all seven charges, but after being exhorted by the judge to continue to try to reach a consensus, they did on most charges.
All three remain at liberty pending a sentencing hearing.
Three current or former officers were convicted earlier this year in connection with the same corruption allegations.
Lawyers for fired cop Tony Braile and suspended officers Bryan Morton and Bradford McNish are seeking a judicial stay Nov. 1, based on disclosure provided by the Crown subsequent to their convictions.
It was a gut-wrenching trial. I know the jury was very intense … some were very emotional during the verdict.