Outgoing Surrey mayor Doug McCallum含羞草研究社檚 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:
含羞草研究社� Surrey Now-Leader (@SurreyNowLeader)
McCallum含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社渧ery dangerous含羞草研究社� manner.
The prosecutor told the court McCallum walked away and later that day told police Johnstone 含羞草研究社渏ust about含羞草研究社� pinned him to his car and as she pulled away 含羞草研究社渟he actually floored it含羞草研究社� and purposefully turned toward him and ran over his foot. 含羞草研究社淚 really on this one want to go after her,含羞草研究社� Fowler said McCallum told police.
Fowler said 含羞草研究社渢he question will be含羞草研究社� if McCallum intended to mislead police into believing she had done something illegal 含羞草研究社渂y making false statements to the police with the intention to cause Ms. Johnstone to be suspected of having committed an offence.含羞草研究社�
The court reviewed CCTV footage from the grocery store含羞草研究社檚 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.
含羞草研究社淚 said 含羞草研究社楻esign, McCallum含羞草研究社� 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, 含羞草研究社淲hat did you say, madam?含羞草研究社� to which she again told him to resign.
含羞草研究社淚t became unpleasantries between the two of us, back and forth,含羞草研究社� Johnstone said. 含羞草研究社淚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.
含羞草研究社淚 swore at him,含羞草研究社� she testified. 含羞草研究社淚 made a reference to him having a scaly face. I called him a scaly-faced motherf含羞草研究社�-er.含羞草研究社�
She said McCallum was saying things back.
含羞草研究社淗e told me I was a loud mouth, and something to the effect that I was no good for Surrey,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淗e told me I wasn含羞草研究社檛 allowed to be there.含羞草研究社�
Johnstone said the exchange lasted about a minute. McCallum had spit at the side of his mouth, she said.
含羞草研究社淗e was angry.含羞草研究社�
She told the court McCallum threatened to call Bylaws on her and she replied for him to fill his boots, she含羞草研究社檇 call the RCMP.
含羞草研究社淎s I drove away I yelled, 含羞草研究社榊ou含羞草研究社檙e evil.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
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含羞草研究社檛 hear, feel or see anything unexpected, she said, and doesn含羞草研究社檛 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 含羞草研究社渁s there had been an incident.
含羞草研究社淚 went of my own free will,含羞草研究社� she said.
When she got to the station, she said, she spoke with an officer.
含羞草研究社淗e told me I was being investigated for assault with a weapon and criminal harassment.含羞草研究社�
McCallum sat with his lawyers and momentarily twiddled his thumbs while listening to Johnstone含羞草研究社檚 testimony as roughly two dozen people, six of them reporters, listened from the gallery.
In cross examination Monday, Peck asked Johnstone about her saying, 含羞草研究社楬oly crap, it含羞草研究社檚 McCallum含羞草研究社� and that it was her 含羞草研究社渓ucky day.含羞草研究社�
He asked her why it was her 含羞草研究社渓ucky day?含羞草研究社�
She replied McCallum would typically put bylaw officers on the volunteers.
含羞草研究社淣ow he含羞草研究社檚 going to have to confront all of us on his day off.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 been a long four years,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚 have tried very hard just to be heard.含羞草研究社�
Peck suggested she uses 含羞草研究社渧ile含羞草研究社� language 含羞草研究社渢o intimidate and instill fear in people.含羞草研究社�
To this Johnstone responded, 含羞草研究社淚 do it to let them know what they含羞草研究社檙e doing is not appropriate.含羞草研究社�
Peck asked her about an incident during which she went to McCallum含羞草研究社檚 home in Crescent Beach. 含羞草研究社淗e was not governing the city in a democratic way,含羞草研究社� she replied. She added she thought it a legitimate way to protest and that she was not on his property.
含羞草研究社淛ust so you know, I voted for Mr. McCallum in 2018,含羞草研究社� she said.
含羞草研究社淢r. Peck, there have been many things that have gone wrong.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淚 also reported the death threat that was sprayed on my garage.含羞草研究社�
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Peck said she had no rational basis to suggest McCallum was behind these acts.
含羞草研究社淚 can含羞草研究社檛 say Mr. McCallum did it,含羞草研究社� Johnstone retorted, adding she assumed it was 含羞草研究社渓ousy supporters含羞草研究社� of his.
Peck asked Johnstone if it含羞草研究社檚 her habit to demean people with physical disabilities, referencing her comment about McCallum含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渟caly含羞草研究社� face.
含羞草研究社淣o,含羞草研究社� she replied. 含羞草研究社淢r. McCallum has been very disrespectful to me.含羞草研究社�
The Crown is proceeding summarily in McCallum含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 mayor.
Brenda Locke, of Surrey Connect, defeated him for the mayor含羞草研究社檚 seat in the Oct. 15 election by 973 votes with 33,311 to McCallum含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 instructed city staff to that end, 含羞草研究社渁nd that they are to seek outside legal for an opinion regarding the city含羞草研究社檚 obligation.含羞草研究社�
It含羞草研究社檚 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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