Judge has doubt whether voice mail threat directed at public safety minister

The threatening voice mail left on a government answering machine may not have been directed at Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, a judge ruled Monday.

Provincial court Judge Judith Shriar told Crown prosecutor Steven Johnston she couldn’t be certain a crucial word, “Goodale,” could be heard on the voice message left by Calgary-area resident Sebastien Taylor.

Johnston had argued the poorquality recording left on a government answering machine in Ottawa on June 4, 2017, included a specific reference to the minister’s last name.

But Shriar said after repeatedly listening to the recording, which was in French, she could not be

certain she could hear the name Goodale at the beginning of the call.

Taylor was charged following an investigation by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team.

At his trial in June, Sgt. Shawn Goertzen read in a translated version from the original French of what was believed to be the content of the message.

“Goodale, you f---g retard, I will shoot you straight in the head, you s--y Canadian,” Goertzen told court.

The threat was contained in the last of three suspect phone messages made that day, said the officer in his testimony before Shriar, with the first one mentioning the name of its alleged caller, Taylor.

Shortly after the call, Goertzen

said, Calgary police were alerted to it by Public Safety Canada officials who believed it originated from an address in Airdrie.

When Goertzen attempted to arrange a meeting with Taylor, he said that the suspect refused to see him and made wild accusations in a number of phone text messages.

“I will be surprised if you can arrest Goodale ... they have been using corruption to achieve their objectives,” said Goertzen, in reading the messages.

“Eradication is necessary to avoid worldwide contamination.”

Police soon located and arrested Taylor in Airdrie and found the suspect co-operative, said Goertzen in June.