Ex-Mountie abandons appeal in Dziekanski perjury case

The former Mountie who tasered Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport more than 10 years ago has abandoned his appeal of a jail sentence he received after being convicted of perjury. The Crown informed the B.C. Court of Appeal that former constable Kwesi Millington had decided to drop his appeal of the 30-month jail term.

“That’s so good for me and so good for Robert,” Zofia Cisowski, Dziekanski’s mother, said Monday. “I’m so happy with that.”

In October, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the conviction appeals for Millington and former Mountie Benjamin (Monty) Robinson, the two officers who were found guilty of lying at the inquiry into the death of the Polish man.

In February 2015, B.C. Supreme Court Justice William Ehrcke found Millington guilty of one count of perjury for knowingly making false statements under oath at the Braidwood inquiry.

Dziekanski, 40, had arrived at the airport from Poland on Oct. 14, 2007. Millington was one of four Mounties including then-Cpl. Robinson, Const. Bill Bentley and Const. Gerry Rundel, who were dispatched to the airport when police received reports of a disturbance involving Dziekanski.

Millington tasered Dziekanski five times resulting in the Polish man dying shortly thereafter.

In March 2009, Millington testified at the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Dziekanski’s death and was eventually charged with perjury along with the three other officers.

Millington and Robinson were convicted, while Rundel and Bentley were acquitted, following separate trials.

Robinson was sentenced to two years less a day in jail and one year of probation.

The two men who were found guilty filed appeals but had the appeals rejected by the B.C. Court of Appeal.

They then appealed to Canada’s highest court, but had the convictions upheld. After their conviction appeals failed, the two men began serving their jail terms.