Special Crown prosecutor Richard Fowler said 香蕉视频直播渘o amount of hostility can justify making false statements to police香蕉视频直播� in his final submissions Wednesday at former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 public mischief trial in Surrey provincial court.

香蕉视频直播淎s a whole, it is clear that the essence of the complaint was that the running over his foot was a deliberate act that occurred after he had been pinned, to use his word, against the back of his car,香蕉视频直播� Fowler said. It wasn香蕉视频直播檛 a hit-and-run, Fowler argued, as driver Deborah Johnstone remained in the parking lot after her encounter with McCallum in which he alleges she purposefully ran over his foot.

香蕉视频直播淎 hit-and-run is very different than a deliberate attempt to hit me,香蕉视频直播� Fowler noted.

McCallum had time to think and reflect on what happened in the four hours after the incident, Fowler said. 香蕉视频直播淗e had time to make sure what he told the police was going to be accurate.香蕉视频直播� The 911 call, he noted, was made more than two hours later.

香蕉视频直播淎nd in that two hours Mr. McCallum had gone grocery shopping, had spoken to the protesters, the people who were collecting signatures.香蕉视频直播�

The former mayor is not someone without sophistication, Fowler noted. 香蕉视频直播淥f course he was, he was running the city.香蕉视频直播�

McCallum used the word 香蕉视频直播減in香蕉视频直播� more than 11 times, Fowler said. He argued that McCallum had made false statements to police that 香蕉视频直播渃learly were designed to intentionally mislead them, purposefully causing someone to be suspected of having committed offences they did not commit.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淗e said she had pinned him,香蕉视频直播� Fowler told the court. 香蕉视频直播淭hat simply did not happen.香蕉视频直播�

Fowler said McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 statements to police weren香蕉视频直播檛 香蕉视频直播渟imply reckless hyperbole. In other words, they weren香蕉视频直播檛 statements that were made in the heat of the moment, with no time to quietly reflect on what had just happened.

香蕉视频直播淎 review of the CCTV video footage clearly shows that Ms. Johnstone had not committed any of the offences suggested by Mr. McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 statement.香蕉视频直播�

Fowler told Judge Reginald Harris that what he needs to decide is if McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 was a complaint that his foot was run over, or was a complaint that his foot was deliberately run over after he was pinned to the back of his car.

香蕉视频直播淚f in fact Mr. McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 foot was run over, in my respectful submission he has intentionally exploited what was an obvious accident by deliberately characterizing it as something it was not,香蕉视频直播� Fowler said. 香蕉视频直播淭he only reasonable inference in my respectful submission is that the Crown has proven beyond a reasonable doubt the elements of mischief. You can be sure he made false statements, you can be sure he intended to mislead. You can be sure he causes Deborah Johnston to be suspected of commiting an offence she did not.香蕉视频直播�

Before that, defence lawyer Eric Gottardi told Harris that the 香蕉视频直播減rimary reason the Crown香蕉视频直播檚 case has failed is in fact his foot was run over,香蕉视频直播� and that it is 香蕉视频直播減reposterous香蕉视频直播� to suggest there was an attempt at public mischief on McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 part. He asked for an acquittal.

香蕉视频直播淭he Crown cannot prove that the accused communicated false information to a peace officer,香蕉视频直播� Gottardi argued.

McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 trial is in its second week.

He is charged with one count of public mischief stemming from an encounter on Sept. 4, 2021, between himself and a group of volunteers that was gathering petition signatures outside the South Point Save-On-Foods store in South Surrey for a referendum on the policing transition.

After a 13-year break from the mayor香蕉视频直播檚 chair, which he occupied from 1996 to 2005, McCallum was sworn in by a judge on Nov. 5, 2018 for his fourth term as Surrey香蕉视频直播檚 mayor. Brenda Locke, of Surrey Connect, defeated him for the mayor香蕉视频直播檚 seat in the Oct. 15 election by 973 votes. Locke and the new council were sworn in on Monday night (Nov. 7). One of her election promises was to make McCallum pay for his own legal costs in this case, rather than Surrey taxpayers having to foot the bill. Locke said she香蕉视频直播檚 instructed city staff to that end, 香蕉视频直播渁nd that they are to seek outside legal for an opinion regarding the city香蕉视频直播檚 obligation.香蕉视频直播�

The trial continues.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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