DAILY DUFF

A day in the life of R. vs. Duffy

Kerry Blue Terriers are good with children, they have “business-like barks,” and according to some sources, they are the unofficial National Dog of Ireland. And on Tuesday, one of them — Charmaine — suddenly found itself at the centre of Mike Duffy’s fraud trial. Among Duffy’s alleged sins is that he expensed a $700 trip to Peterborough, Ont., to buy Charmaine. As far as the Senate was concerned, Duffy had gone to Peterborough in July of 2010 for “public business.” Specifically, he was having coffee with Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro. But he also took the time to scope out some puppies. The scene of the alleged crime was the 2010 International All Breed Championship Dog Shows at Peterborough’s Nicholls Oval Park. Kerry Blue Terrier Club secretary Louise Lang was one of the organizers, and she was called aside to meet Duffy. Little did she know that 60 seconds of pleasantries with the P.E.I. Senator would ultimately lead to a place in history as a Duffy trial witness. “Are you familiar with a Kerry Blue Terrier named Charmaine?” asked Crown prosecutor Jason Neubauer at one point, according to Global News. Duffy’s lawyers have maintained that the Senator was at the event, but that his purchase of a new puppy was actually made a few months later during a privately funded trip to New Brunswick. Indeed, Duffy’s detailed diary for the period mentions that he and his wife “pick up pup” on Jan. 24, 2011 in Bayside, N.B. After that point, there are no mentions of a “Charmaine,” but Duffy makes repeated references to a dog named “Chloe.”