Outgoing Surrey mayor Doug McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 seven-day trial on a charge of public mischief began Monday morning (Oct. 31) in Surrey provincial court with a plea of not guilty.

Doug McCallum arrives at court in today to begin his 7-day trial. Story here:

香蕉视频直播� Surrey Now-Leader (@SurreyNowLeader)

McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 charge stems from an encounter on Sept. 4, 2021 between himself and a group of volunteers who were gathering petition signatures outside the South Point Save-On-Foods store in South Surrey for a referendum on the policing transition.

Special prosecutor Richard Fowler told Judge Reginald Harris on Monday that McCallum told police Surrey-resident Deborah Johnstone ran over his leg and foot with a Mustang two-door convertible and drove off in a 香蕉视频直播渧ery dangerous香蕉视频直播� manner.

The prosecutor told the court McCallum walked away and later that day told police Johnstone 香蕉视频直播渏ust about香蕉视频直播� pinned him to his car and as she pulled away 香蕉视频直播渟he actually floored it香蕉视频直播� and purposefully turned toward him and ran over his foot. 香蕉视频直播淚 really on this one want to go after her,香蕉视频直播� Fowler said McCallum told police.

Fowler said 香蕉视频直播渢he question will be香蕉视频直播� if McCallum intended to mislead police into believing she had done something illegal 香蕉视频直播渂y making false statements to the police with the intention to cause Ms. Johnstone to be suspected of having committed an offence.香蕉视频直播�

The court reviewed CCTV footage from the grocery store香蕉视频直播檚 entrance looking out into the parking lot where Johnstone confronted McCallum, they had an exchange, she drove off and he then walked to the store.

香蕉视频直播淚 said 香蕉视频直播楻esign, McCallum香蕉视频直播� when she first saw him at the scene, Johnstone told the court. She said the roof was down on her car, which she was sitting in. It was parked, she said, and indicated she was roughly 15 feet away from him.

She said McCallum walked in front of her car and over to her passenger side and asked her, 香蕉视频直播淲hat did you say, madam?香蕉视频直播� to which she again told him to resign.

香蕉视频直播淚t became unpleasantries between the two of us, back and forth,香蕉视频直播� Johnstone said. 香蕉视频直播淚t was a heated debate. I told him he was the worst mayor that Surrey ever had. I told him he was mean-spirited and a liar.

香蕉视频直播淚 swore at him,香蕉视频直播� she testified. 香蕉视频直播淚 made a reference to him having a scaly face. I called him a scaly-faced motherf香蕉视频直播�-er.香蕉视频直播�

She said McCallum was saying things back.

香蕉视频直播淗e told me I was a loud mouth, and something to the effect that I was no good for Surrey,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淗e told me I wasn香蕉视频直播檛 allowed to be there.香蕉视频直播�

Johnstone said the exchange lasted about a minute. McCallum had spit at the side of his mouth, she said.

香蕉视频直播淗e was angry.香蕉视频直播�

She told the court McCallum threatened to call Bylaws on her and she replied for him to fill his boots, she香蕉视频直播檇 call the RCMP.

香蕉视频直播淎s I drove away I yelled, 香蕉视频直播榊ou香蕉视频直播檙e evil.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈��

Johnstone told the court that she drove away slowly because she was in a parking lot. She said her intent was to find parking.

She didn香蕉视频直播檛 hear, feel or see anything unexpected, she said, and doesn香蕉视频直播檛 recall McCallum saying anything to her as she drove off.

Johnstone testified that later that afternoon she received a call from police asking her to come to the station 香蕉视频直播渁s there had been an incident.

香蕉视频直播淚 went of my own free will,香蕉视频直播� she said.

When she got to the station, she said, she spoke with an officer.

香蕉视频直播淗e told me I was being investigated for assault with a weapon and criminal harassment.香蕉视频直播�

McCallum sat with his lawyers and momentarily twiddled his thumbs while listening to Johnstone香蕉视频直播檚 testimony as roughly two dozen people, six of them reporters, listened from the gallery.

In cross examination Monday, Peck asked Johnstone about her saying, 香蕉视频直播楬oly crap, it香蕉视频直播檚 McCallum香蕉视频直播� and that it was her 香蕉视频直播渓ucky day.香蕉视频直播�

He asked her why it was her 香蕉视频直播渓ucky day?香蕉视频直播�

She replied McCallum would typically put bylaw officers on the volunteers.

香蕉视频直播淣ow he香蕉视频直播檚 going to have to confront all of us on his day off.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 been a long four years,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚 have tried very hard just to be heard.香蕉视频直播�

Peck suggested she uses 香蕉视频直播渧ile香蕉视频直播� language 香蕉视频直播渢o intimidate and instill fear in people.香蕉视频直播�

To this Johnstone responded, 香蕉视频直播淚 do it to let them know what they香蕉视频直播檙e doing is not appropriate.香蕉视频直播�

Peck asked her about an incident during which she went to McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 home in Crescent Beach. 香蕉视频直播淗e was not governing the city in a democratic way,香蕉视频直播� she replied. She added she thought it a legitimate way to protest and that she was not on his property.

香蕉视频直播淛ust so you know, I voted for Mr. McCallum in 2018,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淢r. Peck, there have been many things that have gone wrong.香蕉视频直播�

She told the court about her hanging out a sign during a provincial election when she saw someone in a black SUV with a gun.

香蕉视频直播淚 also reported the death threat that was sprayed on my garage.香蕉视频直播�

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Peck said she had no rational basis to suggest McCallum was behind these acts.

香蕉视频直播淚 can香蕉视频直播檛 say Mr. McCallum did it,香蕉视频直播� Johnstone retorted, adding she assumed it was 香蕉视频直播渓ousy supporters香蕉视频直播� of his.

Peck asked Johnstone if it香蕉视频直播檚 her habit to demean people with physical disabilities, referencing her comment about McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渟caly香蕉视频直播� face.

香蕉视频直播淣o,香蕉视频直播� she replied. 香蕉视频直播淢r. McCallum has been very disrespectful to me.香蕉视频直播�

The Crown is proceeding summarily in McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 trial.

Criminal cases are prosecuted either by indictment, summarily or a hybrid of the two. Summary offences are the least serious of the three.

A person charged with an indictable offence is required to appear in court whereas someone accused of a summary offence does not, unless a judge says otherwise. A summary offence in B.C. is considered to be in the realm of petty crime and under the Criminal Code of Canada is the least serious type of offence.

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 with 33,311 to McCallum香蕉视频直播檚 32,338. 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 Monday 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�

It香蕉视频直播檚 been a day of raw emotions. A man who had been in the courtroom was wrestled down and detained by sheriffs following a ruckus on an upper floor of the courthouse during the afternoon break.

The trial continues.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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