Allgood cites ‘misconstrued’ evidence in filing appeal
George Mitchell Allgood wants a higher court to overturn his convictions for first-degree murder and attempted murder.
His notice of appeal, filed this week with the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, says Justice Grant Currie erred by finding him guilty of killing ex-girlfriend Susan Reinhardt and shooting her partner David Ristow on July 15, 2006.
The appeal is not unexpected; Allgood, 49, continually protested as Currie read out the verdict on Jan. 27 in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench, ultimately getting expelled from the courtroom for his outbursts.
The notice lists seven reasons for appeal, including that the judge “misconstrued the evidence” and erred by admitting certain parts of evidence, including statements Reinhardt made to friends before her death and statements made by Allgood while he was the target of an undercover police operation, commonly known as a “Mr. Big sting.”
Currie found Allgood had the motive — anger over Reinhardt denying him access to their son and alleging Allgood sexually abused the boy — the opportunity and the means to shoot Reinhardt and Ristow. However, Currie said there wasn’t enough evidence to convict Allgood without his confession in the sting.
In his ruling, Currie repeatedly said Allgood is a liar and that Allgood’s testimony wasn’t credible, whereas Allgood’s admission of the shooting to an undercover RCMP officer was the truth, because it served Allgood’s interests to tell the truth in that situation.
The notice of appeal says Allgood’s statements shouldn’t have been admitted as evidence because they were obtained “by threats and promises.”
Allgood was the target of a four-month sting in which police posed as members of a fictional crime organization and befriended him. His admission to the shooting of Reinhardt and Ristow came at the culmination of the operation, in a meeting between Allgood and the fictional crime boss.
Allgood, who lived in British Columbia under the alias Reno Trevor Hogg prior to his arrest, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
A hearing date for the appeal has not been set.