‘Knees together’ accused jailed on unrelated charges

Man pleaded guilty to break and enter, trafficking in methamphetamines

The suspect behind the infamous “knees together” case, which led to the resignation of a Calgary judge, was sentenced Wednesday on unrelated charges.

Alexander Wagar pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking in methamphetamines and break and enter in connection with separate incidents earlier this year.

Provincial court Judge Sean Dunnigan sentenced Wagar to the equivalent of 10 months in jail, but with credit for time already spent on remand he’ll have almost another 71/2 months to serve.

Drug prosecutor Chris Kalantzis said Wagar was arrested March 7, during a police sting operation targeting trafficking near the Westbrook Mall.

Kalantzis said two officers went into a 17 Avenue S.W. McDonald’s restaurant where Wagar sold them a small amount of meth for $40.

Provincial prosecutor Brian Hadford said Wagar, 31, was also arrested nearly a month earlier at Marlborough Mall in the city’s northeast. A security guard found him in the mall after stores were closed and told him to leave, which he did. The guard then viewed video of one of the mall’s entrances and discovered Wagar had used a tool to break in.

Defence counsel Adriano Iovinelli said the homeless Wagar was only trying to escape the cold.

In a separate matter involving Wagar, then-federal court Judge Robin Camp got into hot water before the Canadian Judicial Council. A complaint was lodged against Camp over his earlier acquittal of Wagar, while Camp was a provincial court judge.

Camp resigned from the bench after the council recommended his removal over his conduct in Wagar’s trial, which included asking the complainant why she couldn’t just keep her knees together when she said she was being assaulted.

Wagar was ordered to face a retrial because of Camp’s comments, but a second judge also found him not guilty of sexual assault.